Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj has been fined $3,385.42 for unsportsmanlike conduct against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Pare collided with Canadiens forward Patrik Laine, contacting him in a knee-on-knee collision. The game was stopped as Laine required assistance leaving the ice and he did not return to the contest. Xhekaj would later attack an unwilling Pare and received 27 minutes in penalty time, including a game misconduct, five minutes for fighting, two minutes for instigating and a 10-minute misconduct. Pare did not respond to any of Xhekaj’s punches.

Here is the play in question:

Xhekaj’s fine is the maximum allowable amount under the current collective bargaining agreement.

“I understand he’s gotta defend his teammates,” Pare said post-game of Xhekaj’s attack. “I wasn’t ready for that. It kind of caught me by surprise, but I know what he’s trying to do and I gotta face it.”

Xhekaj has never been suspended at the NHL level and past precedent is usually taken into account when doling out supplementary discipline, which likely accounts for why the Canadiens’ defenceman avoided suspension.

“It was a very emotional first period and definitely set the tone for the rest of the game. You’re down to 17 players and you have a really short bench,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said post-game via TSN. “You don’t want to overwork your players, but you’re almost forced to.”

At the time of this filing, the Canadiens have not provided a further update on Laine’s status. Laine was traded to the Canadiens from the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 19, along with a 2026 second-round pick, in exchange for Jordan Harris. Laine was seen throwing his helmets and gloves off in frustration as he was assisted down the tunnel and the hope is that he avoided serious injury.