Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was fined US $5,000 by the NHL on Thursday for his throat-slashing gesture aimed at Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano during a 4-3 loss Tuesday night.
The incident occurred late in the first period, following a punishing hit from the Flames’ defenceman that left Kadri lying on the ice in front of the Calgary goal.
The referee did not issue a penalty on the play, despite Kadri calling for one.
Kadri returned to the bench as was recorded making the threatening gesture towards Giordano.
“It’s not something that I even remember really doing to be honest,” he said. “I was kind of in and out a little bit after that hit, just furious. It was an emotional reaction and that’s
about it.”
The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.
The money goes to the players’ emergency assistance fund.
Kadri has 11 goals and 28 points in 52 games this season.
The fine helps Kadri avoid what would have been the third suspension of his career.
The 25-year-old was suspended four games last March after a head shot on Edmonton’s Mark Fraser left him with a concussion.
In 2013, Kadri was suspended for three games after a similar hit to Washington’s Niklas Backstrom.
Kadri was also disciplined during the 2010 world junior hockey championship for making a similar throat-slashing gesture in a game against Switzerland.
After the game Giordano summed up the threat by calling it “pretty stupid.”
With files from The Canadian Press.