Jets’ Neal Pionk fined $5,000 for clipping Panthers’ Jesper Boqvist
On Sunday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5,000 for clipping Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist.
The amount is the maximum allowable under the current collective bargaining agreement. The money goes directly into the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The incident happened early in the third period of Saturday night’s matchup between the Panthers and Jets. Boqvist was rushing the puck into the Jets’ zone, but Pionk stepped up, attempting to deliver a hip check.
Three angles of Neal Pionk’s hipcheck on Jesper Boqvist.
Perfectly executed. pic.twitter.com/NKDWM8ps26
No penalty was called on the play. Boqvist was down on the ice for a few moments before gingerly skating off the ice but was able to stay in the game.
The Panthers went on to win the game, 5-0.
This is not the first time Pionk has received supplemental discipline from the league. In April 2023, he was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Marcus Johansson of the Minnesota Wild. In Dec. 2021, he was handed a two-game suspension for kneeing Rasmus Sandin, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was forced to forfeit $58,750 for the act.
So far this season, Pionk has appeared in all 18 games, while Winnipeg has jetted off to one of the best starts in league history, having scored three goals and 14 assists for 17 points. He is tied with Josh Morrisey for fourth in the team in scoring and second in points among NHL defensemen.
Pionk is in his sixth season with the Jets after spending parts of two campaigns with the New York Rangers, the team that signed him in May 2017. In 485 NHL appearances, the Omaha, Nebraska native has scored 37 goals and 197 assists for 234 points, with another 14 helpers coming in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Jets (15-3-0) have the best record in the league, five points up on the Wild in the Central Division. Winnipeg and Florida will meet again, this time in Manitoba, on Tuesday.