Florida Panthers defenseman Ben Chiarot fined for head butt

SUNRISE — Florida Panthers defenseman Ben Chiarot has been fined, but not suspended, for his head butt of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton.

The infraction happened midway through the second period.

Chiarot’s fine is the “maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”

Both Chiarot and Colton went to the box for cross-checking.

The head butt came as the two were being separated by officials.

Panthers' Ben Chiarot has been fined $5,000 for head-butting Lightning forward Ross Colton.#GoBolts | #TimeToHunt | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Pij0ggdBIu

— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) May 18, 2022

Game 2 of the series is on Thursday at 7; the Lightning won Game 1 on Tuesday night.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 

PANTHERS V. LIGHTNING (TB leads 1-0)

• Game 2: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise   
• TV/Streaming: TNT
• Postgame: Bally Sports Florida
• Radio: WQAM 560 (Miami/Fort Lauderdale); WMEN 640 (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3 (Florida Keys); SiriusXM 
• Tickets: CLICK HERE

PANTHERS V. LIGHTNING

• Regular season series — Tied 2-2: Florida 4, @Lightning 1 (Oct. 19); @Lightning 3, Florida 2 OT (Nov. 13); @Florida 9, Lightning 3 (Dec 30); Tampa Bay 8, @Florida 4 (April 24).
• All-time regular season series: Panthers lead 73-49-18, 10 ties
• Playoff history: Second meeting; Tampa Bay d. Florida 4-2 in R1, 2021
• Round 1: Florida d. Washington 4-2; Tampa Bay d. Toronto 4-3
• Full schedule — Game 1: Tampa Bay 4, @Florida 2; Game 2: Tampa Bay at Florida, Thursday, 7 (TNT); Game 3: Florida at Tampa Bay, Sunday, 1:30 (TNT); Game 4: Florida at Tampa Bay, Monday, 7 (TNT); Game 5*: Tampa Bay at Florida, Wednesday, May 25 (Time, TV TBA); Game 6*: Florida at Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, May 27 (Time, TV TBA); Game 7*: Tampa Bay at Florida, Sunday, May 29 (Time, TV TBA). (*) — If necessary.