Nashville Predators’ Shea Weber was merely fined for an assault in the rink on Wednesday rather than fined, and that has some people upset.
The Predators were playing the Detroit Red Wings on opening night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and after Henrik Zetterberg bumped into Weber and caused him to hit his head on the glass, Weber took a swing at him. When he didn’t land the punch, he grabbed Zetterberg’s head and slammed it against the glass just as time ran out on the clock.
Hockey is a well-known dangerous sport; fights on the ice are common. In fact, some fans watch mostly for the fights. But the fact that Weber specifically went for Zetterberg’s head seems to communicate that he wanted to seriously injure his opponent rather than just hurt him back. And in a game rife with concussions, some say that’s worth more than a $2500 fine, which is what team officials deemed appropriate for Weber.
However, this incident means that any further bad behavior from Weber will get him suspended.
NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said, “This play and the fine that addressed it will be significant factors in assessing any incidents involving Shea Weber throughout the remainder of the playoffs.”
Shea Weber fined $2,500. What a joke @NHL
#NHL Shea Weber fined $2,500 from his $7.5m salary — applying the same ratio to someone making $50,000, that’s $16. #BS #gowings #stanleycup
How on earth does Shea Weber get a $2,500 fine for that incident? #Shanny