Story Summary
Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins has been fined $4,091.49 for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent while on Ottawa’s bench during NHL Game No. 153 in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the fine, which is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The incident took place at 3:35 of the third period, when Cousins received a minor penalty for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
Key Facts
- Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins was fined $4,091.49 for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent while on Ottawa’s bench.
- The fine was the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- The incident occurred at 3:35 of the third period of NHL Game No. 153 in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
- Cousins received a minor penalty for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
- The fine money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
IHM Discussion
This is a supplementary-discipline ruling rather than a suspension, but the amount confirms that the NHL treated Cousins’ conduct as warranting its maximum financial penalty. The on-ice penalty sequence was also significant: a roughing minor and 10-minute misconduct followed an incident that occurred while he was on the Senators’ bench.
The decision separates the league’s financial sanction from the game penalty already assessed. No further playing-related punishment was announced.
Why It Matters
Bench conduct remains part of a club’s overall discipline. A player can affect his team even when he is not involved in the immediate play, and the combination of an in-game misconduct and a maximum fine underlines the cost of losing composure in that setting.
For Ottawa, the direct hockey consequence stated here is limited to the penalties already imposed and the financial sanction. The league did not announce a suspension.
Coach Mark Comment
What will frustrate a coach most is that this came from the bench, where Cousins could not help the play but still managed to reduce Ottawa’s options. Competitive emotion is valuable only while the player controls it. Once it costs the team concentration, personnel and momentum, it stops being an edge and becomes something his teammates have to carry. Cousins does not need to lose that fire, but the next time the temperature rises, he has to make sure it works for Ottawa rather than against them.