Maple Leafs’ Max Domi fined $5,000 for boarding Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov

A controversial end to the latest battle in the Atlantic Division Final has led to repercussions.

On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was fined $5,000 for boarding Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov.

The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident happened in the dying seconds of Game 4 of the second-round series between the two rivals. With a battle along with the boards in the Panthers zone, Domi checked Barkov, who was standing just a few feet from the boards, from behind.

The hit led to a skirmish as the final buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game that saw Florida skate off with a 2-0 victory.

Though time had expired, Domi was handed a five-minute major penalty for boarding.

This isn’t the first time this season Domi has received supplementary discipline. In January, the former London Knight had to pay $5,000 for elbowing Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway.

Sunday’s act also wasn’t the initial occurrence Domi had been fined in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2023, with the Dallas Stars, he ponied up another $5,000 for slashing Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in the Western Conference Final.

This is the fourth time in Domi’s career he has been fined. He was suspended once back in the 2015-16 season as a member of the Arizona Coyotes when he instigated a fight in the final five minutes of a game.

Domi and the Maple Leafs have some work to do in order to get back on track as their series with the Panthers returns to Toronto. The Leafs built up a 2-0 lead with a couple of solid wins, but ended up getting in their own way in both losses in Sunrise.

Now, they have to regroup before a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for a little after 7 p.m. ET.