Brad Marchand Fined $2,000 For Diving/Embellishment
Brad Marchand has been on an absolute tear offensively in recent days, but he wasn’t able to escape his hot streak without supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety. The league announced on Friday that Marchand has been fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment during last Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
You can watch video of the incident in question at NHL.com. Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta made contact with his stick on Marchand, who clearly takes an unnecessary tumble in an attempt to draw a penalty. Marchand drew a two-minute embellishment minor on the play, but Maatta got a matching penalty for tripping.
The fine comes after a warning that the league issued to him after an incident during a Nov. 29 game against the Lightning. Per Rule 64, Marchand’s next fine for embellishment would be $3,000.
a trip and then marchand gets shot pic.twitter.com/vtgFJ5p9lZ
— ego (@notmalkinego) March 2, 2018
If the winger were to receive a fourth fine for diving/embellishment, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy would receive a $2,000 fine in addition to $5,000 for Marchand. He becomes the latest player to be hit with discipline over the league’s attempts to crack down on diving; P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators got hit with a $2,000 fine for diving against the St. Louis Blues last May.
Coincidentally, Canadiens head coach Claude Julien sharply criticized Rick Nash and the Bruins for embellishment in their 2-1 loss to the B’s last Saturday.
It seems unlikely that a fine as small as $2,000 would really deter players from embellishing, but at least the league is trying to do something to legislate it out of the game.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
