Stars fined $100K for practicing over holiday break
The NHL fined the Dallas Stars $100,000 Monday for violating a collective bargaining agreement prohibiting on-ice activities and travel on certain dates during the holiday break.
Stars head coach Peter DeBoer said Friday that he and some of Dallas' younger players were at the rink on Dec. 26 for what he called "optional," per Sportsnet.
Article 16.5 (b) of the CBA states the following:
Dec. 24, Christmas Day, and Dec. 26 shall be off days for all purposes - including travel - and no club may request a player's consent to practice on such days for any reason, provided, however, if Dec. 26 falls on a Saturday and the league has scheduled NHL games on such date, Dec. 23 may be substituted as an off day for all purposes, including travel, instead of Dec. 26.
Boxing Day, an annual Canadian holiday on Dec. 26, fell on a Thursday this year. The Stars went on to lose to the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in overtime the following day.
DeBoer clarified Saturday that it was "voluntary ice" rather than a scheduled optional practice, according to the Dallas Morning News' Lia Assimakopoulos.
"I'm assuming if the league's looking into it, I made a mistake somewhere," he said. "So we'll see what that investigation comes up with."
The Toronto Maple Leafs were fined $100,000 in December 2022 for a travel violation after flying to St. Louis on Boxing Day. The Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, were dinged $50,000 for violating offseason training rules in May 2023.