The Rangers were fined $250 thousand by the NHL on Thursday, 50 times more than Tom Wilson’s fine for hitting Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head, for the team’s public comments criticizing the league’s lack of discipline on Wilson.
New York released a strong and surprising statement after the NHL Department of Player Safety fined Wilson $5,000 for repeatedly hitting Buchnevich in the back of the head while he was down on the ice, saying Wilson should have been “suspended indefinitely” while calling into question department head George Parros’ ability to perform his job duties.
“Public comments of the nature issued by the Rangers that were personal in nature and demeaning of a League executive will not be tolerated,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While we don’t expect our clubs to agree with every decision rendered by the Department of Player Safety, the extent to which the Rangers expressed their disagreement was unacceptable.”
The Rangers were also upset that no discipline came down on Wilson for slamming Artemi Panarin to the ice on Monday night following his hit on Bunchnevich. Panarin was injured in the scrum and is out for the rest of the season, missing the final three games. Wilson was suspended seven games earlier this year and 20 games in 2018 for controversial hits to the head.
The Rangers, after players and coaches called the league’s ruling on Wilson “a joke,” took matters into their own hands on Wednesday night in a rematch with the Capitals, dropping the gloves at the opening faceoff and sparking six fights in the opening five minutes of play, including between Wilson and Brendan Smith, who hunted out Wilson as soon as he took the ice.
Buchnevich received a game misconduct after he cross-checked Washington’s Anthony Mantha in the face, and has a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Thursday.
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