NHL slaps Canucks' Tyler Myers with max fine for elbowing
Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers will have a lighter wallet after receiving a major penalty in last night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The NHL announced this morning that they had fined Myers $5000, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for elbowing Blue Jacket’s forward Sean Kuraly in the third period of Saturday night’s game.
Vancouver’s Tyler Myers has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for elbowing Columbus’ Sean Kuraly.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 28, 2024
The play happened at the end boards in the Vancouver zone. Both players went into the corner to fight for a puck when Myers turned around and elbowed Kuraly in the face. Initially, referees called the major penalty on Canucks defender Ian Cole for a hit made right after the elbow. However, after reviewing the play, it was determined that Myers was the culprit.
Kuraly was noticeably bloody after the play.
Ian Cole was called for a 5-minute major for a hit from behind. After review Tyler Myers was the one who was given the 5-minute major for elbowing. pic.twitter.com/LkXEqvRc5z
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 28, 2024
The strange review process confused not only fans watching the game but also broadcasters. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that he reached out for clarification, to which he was told the purpose of the review is to get the call right.
Elliotte Friedman on the referees switching Ian Cole's major penalty to Tyler Myers on video review:
“I’d never seen it before, Ron. I asked if it was legal and they said, ‘Just get the call right.’ At the end of the day, the review is about getting the call right.” #Canucks
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) January 28, 2024
Luckily for the Canucks, no harm was done as a result of the penalty. Vancouver was able to fend off the Blue Jackets for the entire five minutes and eventually won the game in overtime off a goal by Elias Pettersson. Brock Boeser was also instrumental in the victory, scoring a hattrick to reach a career-high 30 goals on the season.
This is the first time that Myers has been subject to discipline from the NHL this season. He joins teammate Nils Hoglander as the only other Canucks player to face a fine this year.