Toronto Maple Leafs forward Sam Lafferty fined for cross-checking Ross Colton

NHL Player Safety has fined Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Sam Lafferty $3,108.11, the maximum allowable amount under the CBA for his illegal cross-checking of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton.

The incident in question occurred at the 4:50 mark of the second period during game three of the first round series between the Lightning and Maple Leafs. The Lightning had been controlling the game to that point and had a 3-2 lead as well as a 24-13 lead in the shot count.

During a scramble in front of the Maple Leafs’ net, Lafferty and Colton ended up squaring off. Ilya Samsonov had clearly covered the puck by that point but Colton still took a jab at him, looking for any loose pucks in the crease. This kind of play always garners a response from the defending team, especially in the playoffs.

As the play on the ice ended, Colton came barrelling in and pushed Lafferty in his goalie’s crease. In the heat of the moment, as both players stood facing each other in the crease, Lafferty took his stick, tilted it sideways and pushed it with force directly into Colton’s face. The Lightning forward immediately fell to the ice in clear discomfort.

Lafferty was issued a roughing penalty on the play, but NHL Player Safety took a closer look and decided it deserved a bigger punishment. For a guy making $1,150,000 annually, a roughly $3,000 fine isn’t going to make a huge difference. Still, it serves as something of a deterrent to these kind of plays happening in the future.

Lafferty was acquired by the Maple Leafs at the deadline this season from the Chicago Blackhawks. He was dealt along with defenseman Jake McCabe and a couple of fifth-round picks in exchange for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick.

This season, he has scored 12 goals and 27 points in 70 games split between Chicago and Toronto. He has one assists in three playoff games.