NHL Player Safety Comes Down On Nikita Zadorov For Sucker Punch On Alex Vlasic.

The Boston Bruins had a heated clash with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night and it seems that the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety has taken exception to the actions of one man in particular.

On Sunday, the league officially announced that Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov would be fined $5,000, the maximum amount allowed under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, for what Player Safety has described as roughing.

In reality Zadorov was fined for what was a pretty blatant sucker punch to the head and face of Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic. The incident occurred during a larger melee towards the end of the game's second period and, although several players were involved, Zadorov's actions were caught on camera and stood out like a sore thumb.

Not only did Zadorov deliver a blow that Vlasic was never expecting, but he did so while Vlasic was down on all fours on the ice with no way to defend himself.

The optics of the punch weren't great for the NHL and it comes as no surprise that they have come down on Zadorov as a result of his actions.