Ben Chiarot is a lucky man. At least in this instance. The Detroit Red Wings defenseman was fined $5,000 for spearing New Jersey Devils blueliner Simon Nemec, the maximum amount permitted under the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
There was no penalty called on the ice, but the cameras saw everything. Once the clip went viral, it was only a matter of time before the league took notice. And that brings us to the uncomfortable truth: this could have been significantly worse for Chiarot.
Ben Chiarot has a history of spearing
A little more than eight years ago, Chiarot — then with the Winnipeg Jets — delivered a butt-end to Corey Perry’s chin, opening a gash that required roughly 20 stitches. As with the Nemec play, the officials missed it in real time. The league did not. Chiarot was fined $3,763.44, the maximum allowed under the CBA at the time.
One could argue there’s a statute of limitations. That’s true, to a point. Chiarot’s last notable incident was nearly a decade ago, which likely helped him avoid further discipline this time around. But had he struck Nemec in the face, or caused anything resembling the damage inflicted on Perry, the NHL would have been fully justified in handing out a stiffer penalty, including a suspension.
Fortunately for the Red Wings, this latest stick incident didn’t rise to that level.
Detroit Red Wings need all the help they can get
Despite sitting second in the Atlantic Division at 13-9-1, the Red Wings have shown some cracks defensively. They can ill afford to lose another blueliner to supplemental discipline. If Chiarot had been even slightly more reckless, this could have created a major problem.
As the old saying goes: they got away with one.
Through 23 games, Chiarot is plus-3, with two goals and four assists. Detroit now turns its attention to tonight’s matchup against the struggling Nashville Predators at Little Caesars Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.