Blues Forward Fined For Embellishment

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist was a little lighter in the pocket on Friday.

Sundqvist was fined $2,000 by the NHL for embellishment, the league announced.

The supplementary discipline is a violation under NHL Rule 64 (diving/embellishment).

Sundqvist was issued the infraction as a result of last Saturday's 4-2 loss against the Utah Hockey Club.

NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below:

Citation # Player Fine(s) * Head Coach Fine(s)

1                 Warning             N/A

2                $2,000                N/A

3                $3,000                N/A

4                $4,000                N/A

5                $5,000               $2,000

6                $5,000               $3,000

7                $5,000               $4,000

8                $5,000               $5,000

Citations are issued by the NHL hockey operations department, which tracks all games, logs all penalties for diving or embellishment, and flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion were deserving of such a penalty. A citation is issued once hockey operations, through its internal deliberations, is convinced that a player warrants sanction.

Sundqvist was issued a warning following an incident flagged by NHL hockey operations against the New York Rangers on Nov. 25, and his second citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued at 5:27 of the third period at Utah. Forward Kevin Stenlund of Utah was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play.

The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.