Panthers forward Sam Bennett fined for punching Penguins forward Drew O'Connor
Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett was fined $5,000 by the NHL for punching Penguins forward Drew O’Connor during a game at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. on Friday.
The league announced the fine Saturday and labeled the action as “roughing.”
At 17:55 of the third period during a 3-2 overtime win by the Panthers, Bennett checked O’Connor into the boards and — using his right hand — punched O’Connor in head. Bennett received a minor penalty for roughing on the sequence.
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Per a release from the NHL, the fine amount is “the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
The money goes to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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