NHL Player Safety comes down on Brad Marchand for attack on Rasmus Dahlin.

The National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety has come down on Florida Panthers veteran forward Brad Marchand, news that comes as no surprise to anyone who witnessed what transpired between the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

While there was some physicality between both teams throughout the course of the game, it is a mid-game clash between Marchand and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin that has drawn the ire of Player Safety today. The league announced that Marchand would face a fine in the amount of $5,000, the maximum possible fine, for what they have described as "unsportsmanlike conduct" on the part of Marchand.

It was actually Dahlin who instigated the whole affair when he delivered a stiff crosscheck to Marchand's lower back, sending the veteran forward down to the ice with the force of the blow. Marchand would quickly retaliate however, going after Dahlin and tripping him to the ice before throwing some punches his way as Dahlin turtled up on the ice.

Although Marchand did appear to snap and lose his cool,going after Dahlin in an aggressive manner, I don't think this is why he is hearing from Player Safety today. Instead it what was what Marchand did after he was separated from Dahlin that got the attention of the league.

Marchand headed off to the penalty box with Dahlin's helmet in hand and proceeded to destroy it while sitting in the penalty box, a move that was caught on camera and noticed by the broadcasters covering the game.

The NHL simply cannot allow players to destroy equipment from the opposing team and this was no doubt an attempt to set a precedent that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated by the league.