Fresh off of handing out their first public fine for diving to James Neal, the NHL has reportedly warned a total of 22 other players about their recent embellishments out on the ice. This report comes from Sportsnet and states that the warning comes with a $1,000 fine. Should the diving continue, the player will then be publicly announced (read: shamed) and will be assessed a $2,000 fine like the one Neal just received.
Per Sportsnet, here’s how the league decides if a fine will be assessed:
Before a fine can be issued, each infraction in question must be reviewed and voted on by a committee of nine representatives from hockey and player operations. If six voters agree that a case is indeed a dive, action can be taken.
Considering at least 22 players have been warned, it’s pretty likely some new names will join Neal on hockey’s Wall of Shame in the near future. One rumored name is Evgeni Malkin after the Penguins forward was called for diving twice against the Florida Panthers this weekend.
Will the league’s new approach in regards to diving work in cutting the simulation out of the game? It certainly won’t hurt. The fines themselves aren’t huge and probably won’t be noticed by most players, but the public shaming aspect may be enough to cause players to think twice before leaving their feet.