San Jose Sharks' Logan Couture fined $5,000 for slew-footing
San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the league's CBA, for tripping Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith during the third period of the teams' game on Thursday, the league announced on Friday.
At the 16:03 mark in the final period, Couture came up behind Smith and used his skate to bring the Detroit defender to the ice. Smith appeared shaken up after the incident, and did not play for the rest of the game. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland later said that his condition was "fine, day-to-day, nothing serious."
Couture was assessed a minor penalty for tripping on the play while Smith was given a hooking minor.
Couture has spent each of his six NHL seasons with the Sharks. Through 62 games this season he has 21 goals and 53 points with eight penalty minutes.
Smith, who has spent all of his four years in the league with Detroit, has three goals, 10 points and 52 penalty minutes through 55 games this season. Smith's Red Wings defeated the Sharks on Thursday, 3-2.
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Couture's is the third slew-footing offense punished by the league this season. Ryan Garbutt received a three-game suspension for the infraction in December, while Brad Marchand was suspended for two games in January.
- Christopher Woody