Bo Horvat is the latest player to be in the crosshairs of the NHL Department of Player Safety. Following the 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, one of the biggest stars on the New York Islanders learned he must pay a financial penalty.
The Islanders needed overtime to defeat the red-hot San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in the “Capital of Silicon Valley”. It was a heated matchup between up-and-coming, cross-conference opponents. However, nothing is truly free in the NHL, and even Horvat, who scored the game-winner, must now pay a price.
“NY Islanders’ Bo Horvat has been fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident involving San Jose’s bench,” as confirmed by @NHLPlayerSafety on X.
What did Horvat do?
Though the NHL didn’t provide the exact details of the incident that led to Horvat’s $2,500 fine, fans can get a good idea of what event the league is now addressing. During a scrum near the Sharks’ bench, Horvat exchanged some words with Sharks’ William Eklund, who was off the ice.
In that encounter, the veteran forward delivered a light, upswinging tap at Eklund’s visor, causing his helmet to almost come off. It wasn’t overly aggressive nor ill-intentioned; still, the NHL bars players on the ice from engaging in any physical dispute with those on the bench.
Whether there’s more to the story (perhaps something Horvat said to Eklund or another player) has yet to be reported. Thus, all signs indicate it was the contact with Eklund that led to the fine, which is about half of what the maximum allowable fine would be under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).