NHL Fines Tampa Bay Lightning $100K, Suspends Players After Preseason Brawl

The Tampa Bay Lightning faced significant disciplinary actions from the NHL following a violent preseason game against the Florida Panthers, which featured over 300 penalty minutes and 16 ejections. The Lightning were fined $100,000, and head coach Jon Cooper received a $25,000 fine for their roles in the game's escalation. Players Scott Sabourin and J.J. Moser were suspended for four and two games respectively, with Sabourin penalized for an intentional punch to Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Moser for a dangerous boarding hit. Additional fines were issued to Lightning players Gage Goncalves and Roman Schmidt for major cross-checking penalties. No penalties or suspensions were given to any Panthers players. The NHL highlighted the ongoing rivalry between the teams as a contributing factor to the game's aggressive nature, with the fines collected from the team and coach to be donated to charitable causes.