Why Nikita Zadorov wasn't suspended for post-play cross check of Sabres' Rasmus Dahlin
Sabres fans were counting on something bigger here.
Why Nikita Zadorov wasn't suspended for post-play cross check of Sabres' Rasmus Dahlin originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Nikita Zadorov is going to hear the boos in Buffalo on Tuesday night when the Boston Bruins head to Game 5 against the Sabres.
The surprising part, at least to some, is that Zadorov will be on the ice at all after his post-play cross check against Rasmus Dahlin during Game 4 in Boston. It was quite the bizarre moment, Zadorov deciding to lash out at Dahlin for no reason while nothing else appeared to be happening. Zadorov goes after Dahlin well after the play #LetsGoBuffalo #NHLBruins pic.
twitter. com/aThqC9ZHuG ā Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) April 26, 2026 In the end, though, the NHL simply fined Zadorov: The NHL's department of player safety announced Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin. No suspension.
ā Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) April 27, 2026 MORE: Controversial ending has the Oilers in big trouble Why didn't the NHL suspend Nikita Zadorov? The basic answer is that it's unclear. The league must've deemed that this wasn't an action rising to the level of a suspension.