Steve Yzerman takes a jab at the Coyotes over cheating allegations.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is not afraid to chirp the competition, at least not those who have presumably done something outside the bounds of the rules of the National Hockey League.

Yzerman recently held a press conference following the NHL Draft Lottery, a lottery that unfortunately did not turn out so well for his team with them dropping from first overall to fourth overall, and it was during that press conference that he took a pretty stiff jab at the Arizona Coyotes. Yzerman was discussing topics surrounding the draft, including the fact that teams would not get the opportunity to test players at the NHL Draft Combine, when he saw the opportunity to take a shot at a team that has been accused of violating the rules. Yzerman corrected his comments regarding teams now being able to test when he added:

"Every team but one, actually," said the Red Wings GM.

For those who don't get the barb fired by Yzerman here this is a reference to the ongoing investigation the NHL is currently conducting on the Arizona Coyotes franchise. The Coyotes stand accused of physically testing potential prospects while they were not allowed to do so, a big time violation of the rules that could end up costing the franchise $250,000 for every player they tested. As a result of this alleged violation the Coyotes face potentially millions of dollars in fines from the NHL and there have also been rumors that the league could potentially strip them of their first overall pick at the upcoming NHL draft. Back in February of this year TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that the league was investigating 20 potential violations of the rules and furthermore that the second most powerful man in the NHL's front officer, deputy commissioner Bill Daly, was personally leading the investigation. 

A little easy math tells us that this could total as much as $5 million in fines for the Coyotes, a franchise that has not historically been known for its deep pockets. It also paints a clearer picture of why a classy guy like Steve Yzerman, a man who has to compete with the Coyotes, would feel so comfortable taking a public shot like this at an opponent.