ST. LOUIS — Blues forward David Perron has been slapped with a $5,000 fine for cross-checking the Colorado Avalanche's Nazem Kadri during Game 4 of the teams' Round 2 playoff series.
The National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced the fine Tuesday. It's the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
During Monday's Game 4 in St. Louis, Kadri shoved Perron, causing retaliation by Perron and Pavel Buchnevich at the 5:30 mark of the second period that landed them both in the box with minor penalties. Colorado did not score on the two-man advantage, but Kadri buried his second goal moments after the power play ended to make it 4-1.
Kadri scored three goals total Monday night, and the Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference series.
Kadri’s outburst came after he received racist death threats on social media following a first-period collision with Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3 on Saturday night. Kadri said a Blues player threw a water bottle at him that night during a postgame interview.
The Blues announced Sunday that goalie Jordan Binnington would be out for at least the rest of the team's second-round series, though he would not require surgery.
“I wanted to come out tonight and really put a mark on this game, especially after what happened,” Kadri said Monday night. “I tried to do that as best as possible. Sometimes you’ve got to be patient and you’ve got to wait. I was able to strike early in the second period and was able to get the mojo going.”
Kadri, who was booed heavily every time he touched the puck, skated towards the glass and appeared to salute the Blues fans after each of his first two goals, inciting even more jeers. It was his first career playoff hat trick.
“I know that they’re booing me and what-not, but that’s what being a fan is,” Kadri said. “As a home team and a home player, you want the fans on your side and heckling the other team, as long as it’s within the guidelines. I’ve got no issues with that and I know what was said isn’t a reflection on every single fan in St. Louis. I understand that and I want to make that clear. But for those that wasted their time sending messages like that, I feel sorry for them.”
Kadri said he heard no racial taunts from the crowd on Monday.
“Naz’s focused, he’s a big boy, he’s a tough guy, and he’s a resilient guy,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “And we’re proud of him as a group and we have a task that we’re trying to complete and Naz understands that and it’s unfortunate he has to deal with it and he knows that we’re all with him and that’s what we care about.”
The money the NHL collects from fines goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.