"Ducked like a chicken and gets a fine": NHL fans react as Jets' Neal Pionk gets slapped with $5,000 fine for clipping Jesper Boqvist

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Nov 17, 2024 19:26 GMT

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5,000 for his hit on Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the fine on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. $5,000 is the maximum allowed under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

The incident happened in the third period of Sunday's 5-0 win for Florida. Pionk appeared to try a hip check on Boqvist but hit his knee instead. Boqvist fell to the ice in pain, resulting in Pionk receiving a 10-minute misconduct penalty for the play.

NHL fans reacted to the fine on social media.

"Lol such a joke. He ducked like a chicken and gets a fine. Plus injured the guy. Wheel has spun."

"You all should be fined for not knowing your roles there in "Player Safety"" a fan said.

"Why? I’m usually all about throwing the book at these guys but that was a good hip check that boqvist milked." another fan said.

Some fans criticized the fine saying that the hit looked accidental. However, others were concerned.

"I thought the play was alittle dirty but didn’t think a fine would come out of it." a fan wrote.

"These hits are safer than the knees and high hits you guys allow all the time" another fan wrote.

"Pionk has always been sneaky dirty. And he's gutless until the refs step in. Then he's the toughest guy on the ice" One more fan shared his opinion.

"Player safety is the biggest joke of the NHL and it has nothing to do with this on Neal Pionk. I’m a jets fan and this is deserved, unnecessary play but George Parros is still an absolute idiot clown with agendas to push" a fan expressed his concern.

The NHL has not commented on Boqvist’s condition after the hit.

This marks Pionk’s second fine in the 2024 calendar year following a $5,000 penalty on April 12 for cross-checking. The 29-year-old has recorded 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 18 games this season.

Over his career, Pionk has tallied 234 points (37 goals, 197 assists) in 485 regular-season games with the New York Rangers and Jets. He has also contributed 14 assists in 22 playoff games.