Arizona Coyotes Clayton Keller fined $5,000 for cross-checking

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Department of Player Safety announced Friday that Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller has been fined $5,000 for his cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Brannstrom on Jan. 12. Keller was fined the maximum allowable amount under the CBA.

The incident occurred in the first period when Keller cross-checked Brannstrom in the face. Keller received a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play. The Senators were able to score once on the powerplay in what was a 5-3 victory for the Sens. This is Keller’s first fine or suspension of any type at the NHL level. 

Keller was drafted seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Draft after registering a staggering 70 assists and 107 points in 62 games with the U.S National U18 Team. He made his NHL debut in 2016-17 after winning the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie Award with Boston University, and a World Junior’s gold medal with the United States. He registered two assists in three games. 

Last season he tallied a career-high 28 goals and 63 points in 67 games before a season-ending leg fracture stopped him in his tracks. He was able to undergo surgery and made a full recovery prior to the start of this season. Keller has been strong this season, registering a team-leading 37 points (14G, 23A) and 31 penalty minutes in 41 games. He is currently in year three of a monster eight-year, $57,000,000 contract extension he signed with the Coyotes in 2019. The contract runs through 2027-28 and sees a no-trade clause (NTC) and no-move clause (NMC) take effect in 2024-25. 

The Coyotes currently pose a record of 13-23-5 and sit seventh in the Central Division. The Coyotes will play the Minnesota Wild Saturday.