HIGHLIGHTS
- Max Domi avoided suspension for his hit on Aleksander Barkov in Game 4.
- The Leafs forward was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable, for boarding.
- Read below for video on the hit and details on the league’s decision.
Max Domi can breathe a sigh of relief, but his wallet will be a little lighter.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward will not be suspended for his late hit from behind on Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 4. However, he didn’t escape without punishment.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Monday that Domi must pay a $5,000 fine. This is the highest amount allowed under the league’s agreement with players.
Toronto’s Max Domi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for boarding Florida’s Aleksander Barkov.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 12, 2025
The hit happened as time ran out in the Panthers’ 2-0 win Sunday, which evened the second-round series at two games apiece.
As players battled for the puck in Florida’s zone, Domi drilled an unsuspecting Barkov from behind, sending him head-first into the boards. The play instantly sparked a melee as the final buzzer sounded.
Domi was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding on the play. In the ensuing scrum, Toronto’s Bobby McMann, Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and Panthers forward Brad Marchand (on his 37th birthday, no less) each received 10-minute misconducts.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after the game he believed Barkov wasn’t hurt on the play.
“I think the league looks at those things very closely, especially at that point in the game and that’s their job,” Maurice commented on the hit.
“I think the league looks at those things very closely, especially at that point in the game.”
Paul Maurice on Max Domi’s hit at the end of Game 4. pic.twitter.com/NyAFAjzZWv
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 12, 2025
When asked about the Domi incident Monday, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube quickly changed the subject. He suggested a hit by Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov on Mitch Marner earlier in Game 4 was much worse.
“To me the Kulikov hit on Marner was 10 times worse,” Berube told reporters, referring to an apparent elbow that went uncalled.
Kulikov lands a high elbow on Marner pic.twitter.com/Xtf3d0kSUb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 12, 2025
Panthers center Sam Bennett seemed to view Domi’s hit as part of a hard-fought series. “It’s been a physical series, so I expect more of that,” Bennett said.
Domi, 30, has scored two goals and four points in 10 playoff games for the Leafs. Meanwhile, Barkov, 29, has been dominant for the Panthers with three goals and eight points in nine playoff games.
With the series now a best-of-three, expect the intensity to ramp up even further. Game 5 goes Wednesday night in Toronto.
