New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal fined $5,000 for high sticking

The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday that it has fined New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal $5,000, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement for high-sticking Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

The incident occurred during the second period of Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes; Barzal and DeAngelo were in a race to the corner for the puck when they collided shoulders and as Barzal was falling, he swung his stick like a pro tennis player and cracked DeAngelo in the face. Barzal was assessed a double minor on the play. He finished the game with one goal and one assist.

The 26-year-old has been fined three times throughout his career. Most recently, last season, he was fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct after interfering with the play while sitting on the bench during the game by grabbing Leafs winger Mitch Marner’s jersey, preventing him from skating down the ice when he wanted to.

The Coquitlam, British Columbia product has tallied two goals and six assists for eight points in 10 games this season. During the 2022-23 campaign, Barzal registered 51 points in 58 games.

Initially selected No. 16 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Islanders, Barzal has spent his entire eight-year, 430-game career on Long Island. He has scored 107 goals and 263 assists for 370 points in that frame. During the 2019-20 season, he helped lead the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens. During the postseason, Barzal notched 17 points in 22 contests.

The Islanders have a 5-2-3 record with 13 points and a .650 points percentage, they currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Barzal and the Islanders next play Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.