Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Fined By NHL for Diving

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting has been fined $2000 as supplementary discipline under NHL rule 64 which is related to diving/embellishment. This is Bunting's second time being involved with embellishment as the first offense is a warning, meanwhile with the second offense comes the $2000 fine.

If Bunting proceeds to be called out again by the league, he'll next receive a $3000 fine and this goes up to the maximum of $5000 all the way to the eighth citation. As per the NHL:

Citations are issued by the National Hockey League Hockey Operations Department, which tracks all games, logs all penalties for diving or embellishment, and flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion were deserving of such a penalty. A Citation is issued once Hockey Operations, through its internal deliberations, is convinced that a player warrants sanction.

Bunting was issued a Warning following an incident flagged by NHL Hockey Operations during NHL Game No. 232 against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 16. His second Citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident at 12:42 of the second period during NHL Game No. 542 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 17. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The 26-year-old forward is in his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and has enjoyed a successful season to this point playing on the team's first line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Bunting loves to mix it up each and every night and is the type of player that pulls others into the fight.

Michael Bunting just tied Marner, Tavares, Zuccarello, Huberdeau, and Scheifele for goals scored this season

*Sorry that's Michael "Calder" Bunting
— Gordon Bombay (@CoachBombayy) February 23, 2022

Michael Bunting has the heart of Zach Hyman, the finishing ability of Connor Brown, and is as pesty as Leo Komarov.

He's a 3 in 1 for 950K a year.
— Nick DeSouza (@NickDeSouza_) February 20, 2022