NHL Department of Player Safety punishes Ben Chiarot for headbutting

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Josh tupper
May 18, 2022 (1:04 PM)

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It was only a week ago that the NHL suspended Darnell Nurse 1-game for headbutting Philip Danault. Last night in the Lightning versus Panthers game, Ben Chiarot headbutted Ross Colton. The play happened half-way through the second period.

The referee had already called both Colton and Chiarot for cross checks when Chiarot approached Colton and delivered a short headbutt to the visor.

Despite the referee looking right at the infraction there was no call on the play and according to the crew at Scouting the Refs, Chiarot is lucky there wasn't.

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Chiarot lucky they didn't call that a headbutt.
Attempting a head-butt is a double-minor.

If you make contact, it's a major + GM.

According to the rulebook if the refs had called this play it would have been a major penalty and game misconduct. But Chiarot didn't get away punishment free as today the NHL Department of Player Safety announced the following.

Florida's Ben Chiarot has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Head-butting Tampa Bay's Ross Colton.

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NHL Department of Player Safety punishes Ben Chiarot for headbutting

It was only a week ago that the NHL suspended Darnell Nurse 1-game for headbutting Philip Danault. Last night in the Lightning versus Panthers game, Ben Chiarot headbutted Ross Colton. The play happened half-way through the second period.

Should a headbutt be an automatic suspension?