The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Evan Rodrigues $5,000 on Sunday, the maximum amount allowed under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, for a high-sticking incident during a game against the New Jersey Devils.
The penalty stemmed from a play late in the second period of NHL Game No. 71 on Saturday, Oct. 10, when Rodrigues high-sticked Vancouver Canucks forward Marco Rossi. The infraction happened at 19:50 of the period, and officials assessed Rodrigues a double-minor penalty on the ice.
The Main Development
The league’s Department of Player Safety announced the fine Sunday, confirming it as the highest amount permitted under the CBA for this type of supplementary discipline. The $5,000 figure applies regardless of a player’s salary, since the CBA caps fines for certain infractions at that maximum.
Rodrigues drew the four-minute penalty during live play when his stick made contact with Rossi’s face or head area, prompting officials to stop play and send him to the penalty box for the double minor.
What It Means
A maximum fine signals the league viewed the infraction as serious enough to warrant supplementary discipline beyond the in-game penalty, though the Department of Player Safety did not suspend Rodrigues. The $5,000 fine is separate from any penalty minutes assessed during the game and does not affect his ability to play going forward.
Context
High-sticking double minors are common in-game calls across the NHL, but supplementary fines from the Department of Player Safety typically follow when video review shows enough force or intent to warrant further action beyond the four minutes already served. The NHL did not release additional comment explaining its reasoning in Rodrigues’s case beyond confirming the maximum fine.
What’s Next
Rodrigues faces no suspension as a result of the fine and remains available for New Jersey’s next game. The Devils have not announced any additional discipline or statement connected to the incident.
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