NEW YORK — Winnipeg Jets defenceman Tyler Myers wasn’t expecting a call from the NHL’s department of player safety after a cross check on San Jose Sharks forward Tommy Wingels on Tuesday night.
The NHL thought differently, though, and on Wednesday night fined Myers $5,000.
Myers was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking when he banged Wingels in the head after Wingels checked him hard into the boards with seven minutes to go in the third and the Sharks up 2-1.
“I think it’s a joke if I get a phone call from the league,” Myers said following Winnipeg’s 4-1 loss to the Sharks.
Joe Pavelski would score on that ensuing power play to give San Jose a two-goal advantage before Joel Ward added an empty netter.
“It’s a penalty. I’m not going to deny that,” Myers said of the incident. “Might argue about the five (minutes), but either way it’s a penalty I shouldn’t have taken.”
Myers added that Wingels was “taking runs all game,” but he should have let it go with a 2-1 score.
Wingels said he was forechecking hard and finishing his checks and wasn’t sure why Myers was upset in the first place.
“I don’t know why he took such exception to it,” Wingels said. “He cross-checked me and it was the right call.”
The two teams play each other again on April 7 in San Jose.
