IN BRIEF : Blackhawks, Flames Fined $10,000 Each by NHL for Playoff Brawling

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Calgary Flames were fined $10,000 each by the NHL today for an on-ice brawl at the conclusion of their Stanley Cup playoff game in Chicago on Saturday night.

The brawl, which lasted about 10 minutes, involved the players still on the ice as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Under stiffer league rules introduced last year, teams could be fined $25,000 for engaging in a bench-clearing brawl, but in announcing the fine, NHL President John Ziegler noted that “at no time during the altercation did players leave the bench to become involved.”

The incident started when Denis Savard of the Blackhawks and Calgary’s Joel Otto raised their sticks as the game ended. That prompted other players to move in, including Chicago goaltender Alain Chevrier, who tackled Otto.