Capitals' Duhaime fined for poking Kraken's Melanson from bench

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington Capitals forward Brandon Duhaime was fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct for poking Seattle’s Jacob Melanson while on the bench.

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced the supplemental discipline Wednesday. The department, led by retired enforcer George Parros, recently took over control of all the league's in-arena disciplinary decisions, some of which were previously handled by hockey operations.

Duhaime made contact with Melanson while the Kraken player was skating by with just over seven minutes left in the second period of the teams’ game Tuesday night. Melanson reached for his right arm and left the ice immediately but remained in the game, and no penalty was called on the play.

Duhaime started a fight with Melanson with just over a minute left in the Capitals’ 5-1 loss and got an extra minor penalty for roughing. Duhaime, 28, is a pending unrestricted free agent and could be dealt ahead of the March 6 deadline if Washington opts to sell.