NHL team fined for playing hockey – how is that possible?

During the holiday break from December 24 to 26, the NHL prohibits teams from engaging in hockey activities. However, one team violated this rule and faced consequences.

Details: The NHL officially announced that the Dallas Stars have been fined $100,000. The violation occurred when several players from the team decided to skate on December 26, a day before the regular season resumed, as revealed by head coach Peter DeBoer.

The league deemed this a breach of its rules and imposed the fine. Interestingly, a similar incident occurred a few years ago when the Toronto Maple Leafs were fined $100,000 for flying to a game late on December 26 instead of the morning of December 27, as required by league policy.

By the way, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov registered two assists in a single game, earning two points. This feat makes him only the fourth goaltender since 2017 to achieve two points in a single game.

Reminder: On December 26, the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship is set to begin. This year, the tournament returns to the birthplace of hockey—Canada. Stay tuned as our team provides key information about the upcoming competition.