NHL Investigating Pregame Incident Between Senators and Leafs

The NHL is reportedly investigating an incident involving Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz. During the pregame warmup ahead of Game 3 on Thursday night, it was said that Cousins shot a puck at Stolarz.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger:

“A twist in the Battle of Ontario with allegations of pregame shenanigans last night. Sources say the NHL is looking at an incident in warmup prior to game three between the Leafs and Senators. Undetermined whether league discipline will follow.”

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed the incident, noting it occurred just before puck drop. Ottawa reporter Bruce Garrioch noted, “At one point, there were some pucks being lobbed by the Sens in warmup. I did see [Tim] Stutzle stop a lobbed puck near centre. Found it odd and didn’t think anything of it at the time. That was the only thing I noticed.”

Was This Anything More Than Friendly Gamesmanship?

Cousins and Stolarz were former teammates with the 2024 Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers roster. While the two are known to be friendly off the ice, this might be little more than just one player having a little fun with another. Luke Fox is reporting that Senators’ head coach Travis Green spoke with Cousins about it. “Nick says he knows Stolarz and was trying to get him off his game. “Happens more than you think.””

However, the NHL is still taking the matter seriously, per reports. The league does not want any unsportsmanlike conduct to occur.

It’s an interesting wrinkle in the already tense series. In Game 1, Ottawa’s Ridly Greig was handed a reduced penalty for a cross-check on Leafs captain John Tavares, which set the tone for a physical and emotionally charged matchup. Greig also ran Stolarz in that game. In Game 2, Stolarz took several shots at Greig while he was in the crease and the officials let most of it slide, eventually giving both players coincidental minors.

Pregame behavior is loosely governed in the NHL, but rules against crossing center ice or shooting pucks at opponents are enforced in other leagues. Friedman suggested the NHL won’t be shy about getting involved here as they warned Mark Scheifele and Joel Hofer about their warmup issues in the series between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

It remains unclear if Cousins will face discipline, but they may choose to send a message. Game 4 promises even more fireworks as this classic rivalry intensifies.

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