NHL fines players following Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers melee

The NHL has issued fines to Nick Cousins and Matthew Tkachuk following a heated matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers. The confrontation occurred during a third-period melee that erupted after Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark sustained an injury.

Ottawa center Nick Cousins was fined US$4,091.49 for unsportsmanlike conduct while on the bench. Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk received a $5,000 fine for roughing. The incident involved Tkachuk roughing up Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens near the Senators’ bench, which led to further escalation involving Brady Tkachuk.

The game, which resulted in a 5-1 victory for the Senators, also marked the return of former Senators captain Brady Tkachuk to Ottawa after he was traded to Florida in the off-season. Tkachuk was met with significant booing and various protest signs from the home crowd at the Canadian Tire Centre.