Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn has incurred a financial penalty following an incident involving Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. Benn was fined $5,000, the highest amount permitted under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for roughing Scheifele during Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday night, as announced by the NHL`s Department of Player Safety on Friday.
The incident took place at the 13:28 mark of the third period. After a scramble along the boards, Benn threw a punch that connected with Scheifele.
Scheifele, who had previously suffered a concussion earlier in the playoffs, was being held by linesman Ryan Daisy just before the punch was thrown, and both players fell to the ice.
Speaking about the play on Friday, Scheifele stated, “It was hard for me to understand either. My face hurts. There`s not much I can really say in this situation… Couldn`t really protect myself, my arms were pinned at my side, so definitely didn`t feel good.”
Benn received a minor penalty for roughing along with a 10-minute misconduct as a result of the play.
Scheifele and his Jets teammate Brandon Tanev were also assessed roughing penalties during the same sequence, and Tanev was given a misconduct penalty.
The Jets ultimately won Game 5 with a final score of 4-0.
The Stars currently hold a 3-2 lead in the series, with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday.
Tristan Blackwood