- Ville Ottavainen fined $2,190.72, the max allowed under the CBA, instead of a suspension
- The NHL cited him as the aggressor in Thursday’s fight with Calgary’s Brennan Othmann
- Read below for how the beef between the two started four days earlier
Ville Ottavainen isn’t getting suspended for Thursday’s fight.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Friday that the Kraken defenseman will instead be fined $2,190.72, the maximum allowable amount under the collective bargaining agreement, for his role as the aggressor in an altercation with Flames forward Brennan Othmann.
Here’s the league’s announcement:
Ottavainen took a fairly ordinary hit from Othmann in the corner during Seattle’s 4-3 shootout win over Calgary. He responded by grabbing Othmann around the head, throwing him to the ice and unloading punches while Othmann curled up defenseless.
Take a look at how it unfolded:
Kraken coach Lane Lambert made no apologies for it afterward. He told reporters he “didn’t mind” the response, pointing to what started the whole thing.
Four days earlier in Calgary, Othmann drove Ottavainen’s head into the glass with a high hit along the boards. Othmann took a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play. Here’s that hit, from the September 20 meeting between the two teams:
Last season, the 24-year-old played for Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, picking up 17 points in 53 games before adding four more in 12 playoff games. Seattle drafted him in the fourth round back in 2021, and his lone NHL appearance came in 2024-25, when he picked up an assist.
Seattle wraps up its preseason Saturday against Vancouver. The regular season opener comes October 1 in Calgary, meaning Ottavainen and Othmann are right back on the same ice inside two weeks.
