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Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov has been handed a $5,000 fine for roughing Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday. The fine, which is the maximum permitted under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, stems from an incident in Saturday afternoon's game, which the Bruins won 5-4 in overtime.
The altercation occurred at the 18:34 mark of the second period. After a play, Vlasic and Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt engaged in a scrum. Zadorov then entered the fray, pulled Vlasic off the pile, and delivered a punch while Vlasic was still on the ground.
As a result of the incident, Zadorov was assessed two-minute minor penalties for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Vlasic received two minor penalties for roughing Mittelstadt.
Zadorov has accumulated 47 penalty minutes this season, the most on the Bruins and in the NHL. His discipline issues led to him being a healthy scratch for Boston's game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 17.
Following that benching, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm commented on Zadorov's need for better discipline. "Yeah, Z's a tremendous player and leader for our team," Sturm said on October 17. "I think we've been mentioning for a while his discipline on the ice. I think that's something he just needs to be better [about]. But yeah, he was not happy but he's a great human being and he's a competitor and I do believe he comes [back] stronger after this message and he will be back to normal and even better after that."
Key Analysis
Zadorov's fine highlights ongoing concerns about his on-ice discipline. With a league-leading 47 penalty minutes, his aggressive style has occasionally crossed the line, leading to consequences both on the scoreboard and in his playing time. The Bruins will need him to balance his physical play with better decision-making as the season progresses.