Former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov will be a bit lighter in the wallet following some antics on the bench last night.
Zadorov, who signed a six-year, $30 million deal with the Boston Bruins this past offseason, was fined $5,000 by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS) last night, the maximum allowed under the current CBA.
Boston’s Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct against Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 30, 2024
The incident occurred during last night’s game between the Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, where Zadorov attempted to get under the skin of Evgeni Malkin by giving him a shove with his stick while sitting on the bench.
The attempt to get under Malkin’s skin seemingly worked, as the Penguins forward retaliated by swinging his stick directly back at Zadorov, who remained seated throughout the entire ordeal. Instead of making contact with Zadorov, however, Malkin actually struck Mason Lohrei.
Malkin AND Zadorov each fined $5,000 by @NHLPlayerSafety for this incident in yesterday’s game. pic.twitter.com/uMW2DAoxnT
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 30, 2024
The NHL’s DoPS clearly weren’t fans of Malkin’s retaliation, either, as he, too, received a $5,000 fine this morning.
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Boston’s Mason Lohrei.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 30, 2024
“We’re old friends, ya, sure,” Zadorov said with a grin when asked about the incident afterward. “I’m not going to say more about that.”
Ultimately, it was Malkin and the Penguins who had the last laugh as they walked away with a 2-1 victory. The 38-year-old had a big part in the win, picking up the lone assist on the game-winning goal scored by Philip Tomasino.
Before joining the Bruins, Zadorov played a big part in the Canucks’ success in 2023-24. He was acquired in a trade from the Calgary Flames early last season and went on to score four goals and eight points in 13 playoff outings. The Canucks attempted to re-sign him, with reports suggesting he was offered a four-year deal worth approximately $18.4 million.
As impactful as Zadorov was with the Canucks, they may have been wise not to match the Bruins’ offer, as he’s had an up-and-down start to the season, managing seven points in 25 games while being moved into a third-pairing role under new head coach Joe Sacco.
With that said, however, there was a recent report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal that the Canucks have reached out to the struggling Bruins about the possibility of re-acquiring the 6-foot-6 defenceman. It seems as though the conversation didn’t go too far, but it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on moving forward.
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