RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 01: A fan of the Carolina Hurricanes waves a flag after a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at RBC Center on March 1, 2008 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Carolina defeated Tampa Bay 5-1. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)
A small price for one of the Carolina Hurricanes’ best players’ acts.
Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi will pay a $5,000 fine to the NHL Department of Player Safety on Sunday for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Joel Hanley. The sum is the most that can be given under the terms of the present CBA.
The Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund is the beneficiary of the funds.
The event occurred during the first period of Saturday’s Stars vs. Hurricanes game, just past the midway point. Kotkaniemi received no punishment for the play.
In the end, the Stars prevailed 2-1.
In his NHL career, this is the first time the former Montreal Canadien has encountered any kind of supplemental discipline. During the COVID-19 season, Kotkaniemi nearly made an impact when he threw a dubious hit on Calgary Flames player Dillon Dube, but nothing came of it.
It has been reported that Kotkaniemi’s game has some bite to it. He isn’t scared to go a little nasty and throw the body, even though he has made his money as a significant playmaker since he moved to Montreal. He obviously went a bit too far with that on Saturday.
This season, the 23-year-old’s output has slightly decreased. Kotkaniemi has 10 goals and 10 assists in 58 games after setting a career high of 43 points in the 2022–23 campaign. Not bad for a player in the second year of an eight-year contract with a $4.82 million cap cost from Pori, Finland.
Kotkaniemi has 62 goals and 92 assists in 377 career games, including 21 points in 58 playoff contests.
When the Hurricanes (34-18-6) play the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, Kotkaniemi is anticipated to be back in the starting lineup. Despite being seven points behind the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina remains in second place, seven points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers in third.
