NHL Penalty Imposed on Nick Cousins
In a recent decision, the National Hockey League has imposed a $2,000 penalty on Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins for embellishing during gameplay. This fine comes after the league’s hockey operations noted two notable incidents involving Cousins since the season commenced, leading to this financial reprimand.
Previous Warnings and Incidents
Previously, Cousins had already received a warning for a similar infraction on October 25 during a match against the Washington Capitals. The latest incident occurred in a game on November 9, where the Senators claimed a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. In the first period of that match, Cousins attempted to intercept a puck from Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, but consequentially fell to the ice after what appeared to be contact made by Utah forward JJ Peterka. Peterka subsequently received a two-minute minor penalty for interference; however, the Senators could not capitalize during the resulting power play.
NHL’s Monitoring and Rule Enforcement
The NHL’s Hockey Operations department is proactive in monitoring all league games, noting down instances where they believe diving or embellishment should be penalized, even if no call was made during the game. If the department deems a player has acted inappropriately after careful deliberation, they may issue a sanction.
The NHL’s Rule 64 aims to curb players’ attempts to deceive officials in order to obtain penalties. The structure of penalties under this rule escalates with each subsequent citation: the first citation warrants a warning, while the second citation carries a $2,000 fine. The fines continue to increase with each subsequent violation, potentially leading to substantial financial penalties not only for players but also for coaching staff after the team reaches specific thresholds of fines.
Cousins’ Performance and Team Statistics
Cousins, currently 32 years old, is one of the leading penalty-drawing players on the Senators, alongside Tim Stutzle, with a total of nine drawn penalties each. Both players rank 15th in the entire NHL for this statistic, while Sharks center Macklin Celebrini leads the league with 13. Overall, the Senators have managed to draw 84 penalties this season, placing them sixth in the NHL.
In terms of individual performance, Cousins has recorded three goals and a total of four points in 19 games so far this season, bringing his career total to 199 points over the span of 661 regular-season appearances. Fans and readers can stay updated on the latest developments in hockey by subscribing to The Hockey News and engaging in their community forums.
