Devils’ Dougie Hamilton fined $2,000 for embellishment

The National Hockey League (NHL) Department of Player Safety has fined New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton $2,000 for embellishment.

NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below:

According to the media report, Hamilton was issued a warning following an incident flagged by NHL Hockey Operations during NHL Game No. 193 at Edmonton on Nov. 4. His second Citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident at 9:12 of the second period.

The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Hamilton has tallied five goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 41 games this season while racking up 22 penalty minutes playing on the first pairing with Brenden Dillon.

Last season, Hamilton was limited to just 20 games following a torn left pectoral muscle.

Hamilton is in his fourth season with New Jersey. After a difficult first season with the Devils in 2021-22, Hamilton exploded with a career-best 22 goals and 74 points in 82 games last year. He ultimately received Norris Trophy consideration but wasn’t named as a finalist. In an 82-game season, Hamilton was on pace for 66 goals, which would have been the second-best output of the 30-year-old’s career.

The Toronto, Ontario product signed a massive seven-year, $63,000,000 million contract with the Devils ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. The contract has an average annual value (AAV) of $9,000,000. Over his 12-year career, Hamilton has appeared in 812 games for the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey, scoring 147 goals and adding 339 assists for 461 points.