Devils’ Evan Rodrigues fined for high-sticking Canucks’ Marco Rossi

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday that it has assessed a $5,000 fine to forward Evan Rodrigues of the New Jersey Devils for a high-sticking infraction he committed on Saturday night.

Before a face-off at center ice late in the second period of Saturday’s interconference game, Rodrigues reacted to a gloved shove from Vancouver Canucks center Marco Rossi by raising his stick and striking Rossi in the throat and face area. Rodrigues was assessed a double minor penalty for high-sticking on the play.

This is the first incident in Rodrigues’ lengthy career that has resulted in supplemental discipline from the league. Rodrigues is starting off his first season with the Devils after he was acquired over the summer as part of the return in the deal that sent veteran goalie Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers.

Rodrigues is signed to a four-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $3.075 million and is in the midst of its final season. The 33-year-old will be eligible to be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he does not sign an extension with New Jersey.

Through his first four games with he Devils, Rodrigues has been held off the scoresheet while skating to a minus-4 rating on an average of 15:48 of time on ice per game. The Toronto native is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Florida, and he was one of their healthier players in a year that was marred by injuries throughout the lineup last year, when he notched 31 points in 69 appearances.

New Jersey went on to claim a 4-1 victory over Vancouver on home ice Saturday, improving their record on the young season to 2-2-0. The Devils will take Prudential Center ice again on Monday night to square off with the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks fell to 2-4-0 with the loss, which was their third in a row.