Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry was fined $5,000 by the NHL for roughing Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren during a preseason game Tuesday.
At 5:46 of the second period of a 6-2 win by the Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena, Petry was penalized after he punched Berggren in the back of the head. Petry indicated the punch was in retaliation for a hit by Berggren but claimed he did not intend to strike Berggren’s head.
“I was just trying to punch/push the top of his shoulder to kind of knock him off balance,” Petry said. “It grazed off the top of his shoulder and went up. I wasn’t trying to punch him in the back of the head or anything like that.”
The amount Petry was fined is the maximum allowable under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players’ Association. All money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, an initiative that benefits former players in financial difficulties.
