The Battle of Florida never fails to deliver—not even in the NHL preseason. After a chaotic showdown between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers, the league’s Department of Player Safety had its hands full with several fines and hearings handed out.
The Lightning were dismantled in their visit to the Panthers in the preseason finale. Florida got the better of their in-state archenemies en route to a 7–0 victory. As expected, the Bolts didn’t stand with their arms crossed as the Cats ran circles around them. Though an unofficial NHL game, bad blood is always running when the Lightning and Panthers collide.
After a series of scary-looking hits by both sides, all hell broke loose in the Sunshine State. Now, it’s up to the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to clear the air and address each incident. On that note, they will have a lot on their plate prior to opening night on October 7.
As announced by @NHLPlayerSafety on X (formerly Twitter), Tampa Bay skaters Roman Schmidt and Gage Goncalves have been fined for cross-checking Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues, respectively. Schmidt was fined $2,098.52, and Goncalves had $3,125 deducted from his bank account. Both are the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Gage Goncalves with the Tampa Bay Lightning
What’s the max?
Though both fines are listed as maximum, many fans wondered why Goncalves and Schmidt must pay different amounts. That is largely due to the contracts to which each Bolt is signed to.
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According to scoutingtherefs.com, fines are capped at 50% of one day’s salary, with a maximum of $5,000 without a hearing. If a hearing takes place, the league can issue a fine up to $10,000.
Need to have a talk
Meanwhile, fellow Lightning teammates J.J. Moser and Scott Sabourin have been scheduled for hearings with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. Moser is being investigated for boarding Jesper Boqvist, whereas Sabourin is summoned for roughing Aaron Ekblad. Both hearings’ dates have yet to be decided. As a result, the Bolts could miss the two players with game suspensions.
Though happy with the victory to close out the preseason, the Panthers were visibly upset about the Lightning’s behavior. During his postgame interview, forward Mackie Samoskevich issued a sharp statement directed at Tampa Bay.
Mackie Samoskevich of the Florida Panthers
“Let them do their thing,” Samoskevich said. “Just trying to protect ourselves. They didn’t really plan on playing hockey tonight. We got bigger things coming ahead.”
The NHL is back, and the Battle of Florida hasn’t lost a step. Back in full swing, the Panthers and Lightning will surely not let go of this past encounter when they meet for the first time in the regular season on November 15. It may seem a long way off, but make no mistake—when it comes to the Cats and the Bolts, they never forget.
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