Stars’ Rantanen fined for cross-checking Wild’s Kaprizov
Even though his season might be over, a member of the Dallas Stars has a little business to attend to before heading out for vacation.
On Friday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Stars forward Mikko Rantanen has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov.
The incident occurred just a few minutes into the third period of Game 6 of the teams’ Central Division Semifinal. While battling for a loose puck in the corner, Rantanen threw a high hit on Kaprizov, stunning the Russian winger for a few seconds.
Stars forward Mikko Rantanen has been fined $5,000 (max) for cross-checking #mnwild forward Kirill Kaprizov. #TexasHockey
Rantanen was awarded a minor penalty for cross-checking. Kaprizov was able to continue on, as the Wild clinched its first playoff series win since 2015 with a 5-2 victory. Kaprizov led all skaters with nine points in the set. Rantanen ended the series with a goal and seven points in six games.
The fine is the maximum allowable under the current collective bargaining agreement. The money heads to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Rantanen wasn’t the first player to have faced supplemental discipline in this series. After Game 5, teammate Jamie Benn was also handed a $5,000 fine after cross-checking Ryan Hartman.
This also isn’t the first time Rantanen has had to deal with the DoPS this year. Back in November, he was suspended one game after receiving a pair of ejections less than a week apart. During that same week, he was fined $2,000 for his second embellishment offense this year.
He’s also been fined a couple of times earlier in his NHL career. In May 2021 and November 2018, as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, the Finnish star paid $2,000 for diving.