Nikita Zadorov’s Chicago Blackhawks Incident Leads To Major NHL Disciplinary Decision

Bruins enforcer Zadorov punished again by NHL after Chicago incident© Getty via AFP

The NHL handed Boston Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov a $5,000 fine on Sunday, the maximum penalty allowed under the league's collective bargaining agreement, for roughing Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Alex Vlasic during Saturday's game at TD Garden. The league's announcement came a day after Boston edged Chicago 5-4 in overtime, snapping a two-game losing skid. It was Zadorov's fourth maximum fine since May 2024, and it arrives barely two weeks after Bruins head coach Marco Sturm scratched him for a lack of discipline.

Zadorov Punches Vlasic While He's Down on the Ice

The incident unfolded late in the second period. Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt and Vlasic got tangled up behind the play, and Vlasic dropped the gloves with Mittelstadt. A scrum involving both teams followed. Zadorov then pulled Vlasic out of the pile and punched him in the face while Vlasic was already down on the ice.

Zadorov was handed a four-minute double minor and a 10-minute misconduct. Both Vlasic and Mittelstadt also drew roughing penalties during the scrum, but Chicago was not awarded a power play. The league's Sunday announcement named only Zadorov. No further discipline was announced for any other player involved.

The hit was a problem the Bruins have seen before with their 6-foot-7 defenceman. His lone NHL suspension came in February 2024 with Vancouver, two games for an illegal check to the head of Detroit's Lucas Raymond. Three months later, he drew a $5,000 fine for cross-checking Connor McDavid in the playoffs. Then came another $5,000 in November 2024 for poking Evgeni Malkin with his stick from the bench. Last April, he cross-checked Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin, drawing a five-minute major, a game misconduct, and another $5,000. All four of those were the maximum.

Zadorov Leads NHL in Penalty Minutes Despite Coach's Warning

What makes this fine harder to dismiss is the timing. Sturm scratched Zadorov on Oct. 17 against Los Angeles, a public message about discipline. Zadorov's response at the time was pointed.

“Listen, we are Boston Bruins and we play that brand of hockey,” he said, per The Boston Globe.

That mindset has kept him near the top of the penalty minute leaderboard for years. Through 14 games this season, he leads the NHL with 47 penalty minutes. Ottawa's Nick Cousins sits second with 42, Calgary's Adam Klapka third with 37. Last season, Zadorov topped the league with 152 penalty minutes. The year before, 145. He entered 2026-27 eight spots inside the top 10 among active NHL players, closing in on 1,000 career penalty minutes.

Boston signed him to a six-year, $30 million deal in July 2024 because they wanted his physicality. At $5.5 million this season, every fine is a fraction of his paycheck. But the pattern raises a fair question about whether the money talks at all.