Josh Manson Hit With Maximum Fine for Butt-End Stick Incident Against Minnesota

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson is out five grand after taking a stick penalty that had Wild forward Michael McCarron seeing red. The NHL handed down the maximum allowable fine of $5,000 on Tuesday for Manson's butt-end jab during the Avs' 5-2 win over Minnesota on Monday night in Game 4 of their Western Conference second-round series.

The Colorado lead is 3-1 in the series, so this fine is basically a footnote to a dominant performance. But the play itself? That's where things got spicy.

The Incident and the Fallout

Early in the first period, Manson appeared to jam the butt end of his stick into McCarron's neck area while the two were tangled up on the ice. The ref saw it and dropped a double minor penalty on the play. McCarron wasn't happy about it, and he made sure everyone knew.

"He's a dirty player. He's always been," McCarron told ESPN during a break in the action. "Surprised he got away with a four-minute penalty."

The fine was handed down as the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement. Manson took his medicine, but McCarron's words suggest this wasn't some accident on the ice.

Manson's Road Back From Injury

This was Manson's first game back since April 23 after dealing with an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old defenseman has two assists and eight penalty minutes through four postseason games so far. During the regular season, he put up 31 points across five goals and 26 assists while playing in 79 games, adding 91 penalty minutes to his total.

So yeah, the guy plays a physical brand of hockey. Apparently that didn't stop when he got back in the lineup.

Colorado's Series Momentum

The Avalanche are rolling right now. A 5-2 road win in Minnesota puts them one victory away from advancing past the Wild, and they control this series at 3-1. Even with Manson's penalty and subsequent fine, Colorado's depth and power are showing up when it counts in the postseason.

The question now is whether Manson's return stays clean enough to keep the Avs moving forward, or if he's going to keep testing the patience of the league's disciplinary team.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.