Colorado Avalanche’s Ross Colton fined $5,000 for tripping Anaheim Ducks’ Leo Carlsson

One of the key depth players on the Colorado Avalanche is having to pay a hefty fee.

On Sunday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that forward Ross Colton is be fined $5,000 for a dangerous trip on Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

The incident occurred during the third period of the Avalanche’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks on Saturday night. Colton was called for a tripping penalty just over three minutes into the final period of regulation.

This is the second time that the former member of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been given a fine this season. Colton had to pay $5,000 for cross-checking New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier during a scrum on Nov. 8. The scuffle started after Colton hit rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, receiving a boarding penalty.

Regardless of the supplemental discipline, the 2021 Stanley Cup champion has never been suspended by the league, and was not fined prior to this season.

Colton is in the first year of a four-year contract with Colorado, with an AAV of $4 million. The 27-year-old’s size and physicality is expected to help the Avs make a deep run in the playoffs. Through 23 games, he has seven goals and five assists, with 33 penalty minutes.

However, Colton has to be careful in order to avoid any further conduct rulings handed down by the DoPS. With two fines in the last month, referees and the league are going to be keeping a close eye on him from here on out.

The Avalanche are off to a great start this season, with their 32 points placing them atop of the Central Division, one point ahead of the Dallas Stars. They have the third-best record in the Western Conference, trailing the Vegas Golden Knights by four points.