Josh Manson Just Got Hit With the Max Fine for a Stick to the Neck, and Michael McCarron Wasn't Shy About It
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson walked away with a $5,000 fine on Tuesday for butt-ending Minnesota Wild forward Michael McCarron in Game 4 of their Western Conference second-round series. That's the maximum allowed under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, which tells you everything about how seriously the league took what went down.
The whole thing happened in the first period of Colorado's 5-2 win at Minnesota on Monday night. Manson and McCarron got tangled up on the ice, and that's when Manson appeared to jam the butt end of his stick into McCarron's neck area. The refs hit him with a double minor on the spot, but apparently that wasn't the end of it.
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Here's where it got spicy. During a break in the action, McCarron told ESPN exactly what he thought about the whole thing: "He's a dirty player. He's always been. Surprised he got away with a four-minute (penalty)."
That's not just frustration talking. That's a guy who felt like Manson got away with something and wanted the world to know it. The four-minute double minor on the ice apparently wasn't enough to settle things in the league's eyes.
Manson Fighting His Way Back
This fine matters more because of who delivered it. Manson, 34, was making his first appearance since April 23 after dealing with an upper-body injury. He wasn't exactly coming in with a clean slate either. In four games so far this postseason, he's got two assists and eight penalty minutes. During the regular season, he posted 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) but also racked up 91 penalty minutes across 79 games.
The Avalanche are up 3-1 in the series, so this fine won't derail their run. But it's a reminder that even veteran players making their return need to keep their emotions in check when the stakes are this high.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.