The NHL laid down the hammer on the Dallas Stars on Monday for violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Dallas was fined by the league for $100,000 because it held an “optional” practice on Dec. 26 that players took part in, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
“The Dallas Stars have been fined $100,000 for violating the NHL’s CBA with a practice on Dec. 26,” said Johnston on X.
The Dallas Stars have been fined $100,000 for violating the NHL’s CBA with a practice on Dec. 26. That violated Article 16.5(b), which calls for Dec. 24, 25 and 26 to be off and says “no club may request a player’s consent to practice on such days for any reason.”
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 30, 2024
The optional practice violated Article 16.5(b), which calls for Dec. 24, 25 and 26 to be off and says “no club may request a player’s consent to practice on such days for any reason.”
The NHL began investigating the Stars on Saturday after head coach Peter DeBoer indicated that young players were “supposed” to be present at this optional skate.
“I was at the rink yesterday. We had an optional, and of course the young guys all show up for the optional like, you know, they’re supposed to do,” DeBoer said ahead of Friday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.
The league’s pursuit of answers included looking into whether DeBoer had misspoken and there was ice open for whoever wants it, or if this optional skate, which in the NHL means that coaches are present, was actually held.
On Dec. 23, a memo was sent to all 32 general managers by the league by NHL Senior Executive Vice President Colin Campbell issuing a reminder that “teams are not permitted to provide travel or ice time.”
Despite being labeled as “optional,” the practice was prohibited under the league’s directive.
A Stars spokesperson informed The Athletic that “the team is currently conducting an internal investigation into the matter and is fully cooperating with the NHL.”
The NHL Players’ Association did not provide an immediate response.
Despite the breach, Minnesota still prevailed 3-2 over the Stars on Friday night.
“Obviously the rules are in place for a reason,” Wild head coach John Hynes said. “The league is so competitive and so tight in terms of the schedule, you’d like everyone on an even playing field. The rules are the rules, right? But, again, I don’t know exactly what he meant. I’ve got a lot of respect for Pete, so I would lend myself to think that maybe he made a mistake.”
In 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs were penalized $100,000 for breaking a similar rule by traveling to St. Louis on Dec. 26, prior to the official end of the holiday break. Likewise, in 2015, the Philadelphia Flyers were fined for departing early for a game in Nashville.
As of Monday, the Stars rank fourth in the Central Division with a 21-13-1 record. They currently hold the top wild-card position in the Western Conference, maintaining a narrow lead of one point over the Vancouver Canucks and two points over the Calgary Flames.
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