Adrian Kempe stirs the pot on social media after being fined for slewfoot on Connor McDavid
Kings forward Adrian Kempe was fined for a harsh slewfoot against Oilers star Connor McDavid, and afterwards, Kempe stirred the pot by liking a post on social media.
NHL Player Safety announced their decision to fine Adrian Kempe $5,000 yesterday, and made a social media post announcing the news.
Kempe Likes Post Announcing Fine For Slewfoot Against Connor McDavid, Proving His Intentions
Kempe liked the post from TSN announcing the NHL's fine, which is being seen by many fans as him gloating or thinking positively of trying to injure McDavid. At the very least, it's pretty cheeky.
Another reason Kempe liking the post of his supplemental discipline is rubbing Oilers fans wrong was the obviously coordinated effort from the Kings to target McDavid with physical play all night.
Not only did Kempe throw a late and unnecessary slewfoot on McDavid, Alexis Laferrière also picked up the Oilers captain's legs to drop him.
It proves a strategy from the Kings to intimidate the Oilers stars physically, and go after them with cheap plays after the whistle. The fact the Kings seem to enjoy it as much as they do speaks to the rivalry between the teams.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal thought the punishment for Kempe wasn't nearly enough, and called on NHL Player Safety to do better.
Crime continues to pay in the NHL.
It's as if the league is run by the most permissive of soft-on-crime judges.
A $5,000 fine isn't much, and is likely worth the price to weaken the game's best player. Staples is right to call on Player Safety to make harsher punishments to actually deter terrible plays like this.
Do the Edmonton Oilers need to beef up for playoffs to face Los Angeles Kings?
The Oilers could be facing the Los Angeles Kings or any other team that tries to intimidate them physically in the playoffs, leading to some questions of whether Edmonton needs to add toughness in trade.
Additional grit might help the Oilers, but toughness needs to be an attitude that comes from the entire roster. Edmonton is a veteran playoff team now, and surely will be able to flip the switch when the time comes.
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