The Dallas Stars are in hot water with the NHL after holding a practice they weren’t supposed to during the holiday break.
League insider Darren Dreger of TSN reports the Stars will face a fine for breaking the rules, though the NHL hasn’t officially announced the punishment yet.
The trouble started when Dallas held what they called an "optional" practice on December 26th – a day that’s supposed to be completely off-limits according to the league’s agreement with the players.
It’s not the first time teams have tried to bend these holiday rules.
Just two years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs got slapped with a $100,000 fine for jumping the gun on their holiday travel. They left a day early to get ready for their game against the St. Louis Blues.
Before that, you’d have to go back to 2015 to find a similar case, when the Philadelphia Flyers also got caught leaving early during the league’s mandatory break.
The NHL takes these holiday violations pretty seriously – they’re meant to give players guaranteed time with their families during the busy season. Teams trying to squeeze in extra practice or travel time doesn’t sit well with the league office.
No word yet on how much the Stars will have to pay, but based on past fines, it could be a six-figure hit to the team’s wallet.
