The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday that Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Boston’s Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 27, 2026
The incident occurred late in the third period of Buffalo’s 6-1 blowout victory on Sunday. With the game well out of reach and play whistled dead for an offside call, a frustrated Zadorov approached Dahlin at center ice and delivered a forceful cross-check to the Sabres captain’s back, following it up with a gloved punch before officials could intervene.
The Moscow native is no stranger to the Department of Player Safety. In February of 2024, while playing for the Vancouver Canucks, he was suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond. He has also received $5,000 fines twice before in his career.
In 81 games this season, Zadorov notched two goals and 20 assists for 22 points, while leading the NHL with 152 penalty minutes.
For Dahlin, the incident is yet another chapter in a series where he has successfully lured Bruins veterans into undisciplined penalties. The Sabres captain has been the primary target of Boston’s physical play, yet he leads all skaters in the series with an average of 24:18 of ice time