Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky fined $10,000 for boarding

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky will be punished for his boarding hit on Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi, he just won't be suspended. The NHL announced on Wednesday that Dubinsky will be fined $10,000

By Brian Stubits

Feb 6, 2013 at 3:00 pm ET • 1 min read

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky will be punished for his boarding hit on Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi, but he won't be suspended.

The NHL announced Wednesday that Dubinsky will be fined $10,000 for the hit instead of being given a suspension. It's the first instance of a player being fined under the new CBA, which significantly raised the maximum fine amount to add more teeth for the department of player safety. Now they don't always have to suspend a player; a bigger fine can have the same message than the old $2,500 maximum.

Sadly, the fine doesn't come with a Brendan Shanahan video, so we'll have to do our best.

Ahem. (*In best Shanny voice) On Tuesday night an incident occurred in a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings.

As the video clearly shows, Dubinsky followed Scuderi and hit him with some force into the end boards. All along his numbers were visible to Dubinsky, and the onus is on the player to avoid or at least minimalize the contact with the player.

Furthermore, Scuderi doesn't make any sudden movements prior to or simultaneously with the hit. This is boarding.

Dubinsky has no prior history of supplemental discipline, and Scuderi was able to return to the game. Therefore, the league has decided to fine Dubinsky $10,000.

(How'd I do?)

Remember, not every boarding penalty is going to get a suspension, particularly with the higher fine amounts now. But it's not like Dubinsky is away scot-free here. In addition to the fine he now has a record with the league.

Scuderi wasn't too pleased with the hit either way after the game, as he told Lisa Dillman of the LA Times, but wasn't too concered about what punishment could come for Dubinsky.

Scuderi told The Times after the game that he felt it was kind of "open season" on some defensemen. But he declined to say if Dubinsky deserved additional discipline for the hit.

"That's not my decision," Scuderi said. "That's the league's decision, and it's in their hands."

The decision is in, and that's that.

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