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NHL Player Safety hands out its first punishment of 2026-27
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- NHL Player Safety hands out its first punishment of 2026-27
NHL Player Safety hands out its first punishment of 2026-27
UPDATE: NHL Player Safety has handed out a $2250 fine to Andrew Cristall of the Washington Capitals for crosschecking Hunter McDonald of the Philadelphia Flyers last night.
Read below for our earlier report on this developing story.
The NHL preseason is supposed to be about young players making their case for a roster spot, not about landing on the Department of Player Safety's radar before the regular season even starts. But that's exactly where Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall finds himself after a heated moment during Monday night's exhibition game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
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A Hit, a Reaction, and an Ejection
The incident unfolded with just over seven minutes left in the second period. Flyers defensive prospect Hunter McDonald delivered a hard, but by all accounts legal, check that drove Capitals forward Ryan Leonard into the boards. Cristall, clearly not pleased with what he saw, wasted no time skating over and delivering a crosscheck that caught McDonald squarely in the face, sending the Flyers blueliner crashing to the ice.
Cristall wasn't done either. He attempted to get another crosscheck in before Philadelphia players swarmed in and a full scrum broke out in the Washington offensive zone. Officials quickly assessed Cristall a five-minute major for crosschecking along with a game misconduct, putting an abrupt end to his evening.
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The good news is that McDonald, while visibly shaken and slow to get back to his feet, appeared to avoid serious injury and remained in the game. Leonard, the player whose hit sparked the whole sequence, was also unharmed and continued playing.
Capitals teammate Dylan Strome offered some perspective on the play, suggesting it may not have been as malicious as it looked in real time. Strome noted that Cristall likely intended to start a typical post-whistle scrum but got his hands up too high. He even speculated that with video review available, it might have been downgraded to a four-minute high-sticking call rather than the major. Still, Strome made it clear he respected Cristall for stepping up to defend a teammate.
What It Means for Cristall's Roster Battle
The timing of this incident could not be worse for the young forward. Cristall, a 2023 draft pick who spent last season developing in Hershey, was making his preseason debut for the big club and is currently locked in a competitive fight for one of the Capitals' remaining forward spots on the Opening Night roster. He's up against the likes of Jonny Brodzinski , Ivan Miroshnichenko , Ethen Frank , and Josh Dunne for a limited number of available slots.
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Head coach Spencer Carbery was measured in his response, acknowledging that Cristall's instincts were admirable even if the execution left a lot to be desired. Carbery told reporters that he appreciated the rookie's willingness to stand up for a teammate, calling it the right impulse. But he also made it clear that those situations need to be handled more cleanly. The coach expressed sympathy for Cristall not being able to finish the game, noting that more ice time in the second and third periods would have helped him settle in and show what he can do.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety is expected to review the play given the severity and intentional nature of the high crosscheck. Any supplemental discipline would further complicate Cristall's bid for a roster spot and could set the tone for how the league plans to handle these types of plays heading into the new season. For a player trying to prove he belongs at the NHL level, the next few days could be pivotal in determining whether his preseason continues or gets put on hold.
