The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is making an example out of one of Patrick Kane’s teammates on the Detroit Red Wings. Following the team’s 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils, defenseman Ben Chiarot has been hit with a hefty fine for his actions against blueliner Simon Nemec.
Late in the game, with Detroit trailing New Jersey 4-3, Chiarot let his emotions get the better of him. During an after-the-whistle scrum, he drove the butt-end of his stick into Nemec’s midsection.
The aggression went unnoticed by the officials, leading to a candid outburst from head coach Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the Devils. However, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has now addressed the incident with a severe punishment for the 34-year-old blueliner.
“Detroit’s Ben Chiarot has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for butt-ending New Jersey’s Simon Nemec,” the league announced on social media, via @NHLPlayerSafety on X.
Old incident resurfaces after Chiarot’s butt-end hit
It didn’t take long before fans across the NHL expressed their discomfort with Chiarot’s actions. Moreover, many pointed at one similar incident involving Chiarot during the 2017-18 season.
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Almost a decade later, the former fourth-round selection became a repeat offender. They say old habits die hard, and that certainly seems to be the case for Chiarot and his post-whistle antics with the butt-end of his stick.
On November 24, 2017, Chiarot delivered a butt-end to the chin of Corey Perry during a matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. On that occasion, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued him a maximum fine of $3,763. However, the league ruled the play did not warrant supplemental discipline or a suspension, citing Chiarot’s clean record. Now, much has changed, and further discipline could still be in the works for the 6’3″ blueliner.
SurveyShould Chiarot be suspended for butt-ending Nemec?
Should Chiarot be suspended for butt-ending Nemec?