NHL imposes maximum punishment for Patrick Kane’s key teammate on Red Wings

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is making an example out of one of Patrick Kane’s teammates on the Detroit Red Wings. Following the team’s 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils, defenseman Ben Chiarot has been hit with a hefty fine for his actions against blueliner Simon Nemec.

Late in the game, with Detroit trailing New Jersey 4-3, Chiarot let his emotions get the better of him. During an after-the-whistle scrum, he drove the butt-end of his stick into Nemec’s midsection.

The aggression went unnoticed by the officials, leading to a candid outburst from head coach Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the Devils. However, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has now addressed the incident with a severe punishment for the 34-year-old blueliner.

“Detroit’s Ben Chiarot has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for butt-ending New Jersey’s Simon Nemec,” the league announced on social media, via @NHLPlayerSafety on X.

Old incident resurfaces after Chiarot’s butt-end hit

It didn’t take long before fans across the NHL expressed their discomfort with Chiarot’s actions. Moreover, many pointed at one similar incident involving Chiarot during the 2017-18 season.

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Almost a decade later, the former fourth-round selection became a repeat offender. They say old habits die hard, and that certainly seems to be the case for Chiarot and his post-whistle antics with the butt-end of his stick.

On November 24, 2017, Chiarot delivered a butt-end to the chin of Corey Perry during a matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. On that occasion, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued him a maximum fine of $3,763. However, the league ruled the play did not warrant supplemental discipline or a suspension, citing Chiarot’s clean record. Now, much has changed, and further discipline could still be in the works for the 6’3″ blueliner.