NHL: Avs DefensemanJosh Manson fined $5K for butt-ending incident

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson was fined $5,000 on Tuesday for butt-ending Minnesota Wild forward Michael McCarron during Game 4 of their Western Conference second-round series. The Avalanche lead the series 3-1.

The incident occurred in the first period of Colorado’s 5-2 victory at Minnesota on Monday night. Manson received a double minor after appearing to jam the butt end of his stick into McCarron’s neck while the two players were tangled on the ice.

“He's a dirty player. He's always been,” McCarron told ESPN during a break in the action. “Surprised he got away with a four-minute penalty.”

Manson, 34, was making his first appearance since April 23 due to an upper-body injury. He has recorded two assists and eight penalty minutes in four games this postseason. During the regular season, he posted 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) and 91 penalty minutes in 79 games.

The $5,000 fine represents the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

—Field Level Media/Reuters