One day after the league cited Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri for three diving/embellishment offences from the past two months, earning him a $5,000 fine, the 25-year-old shared his frustration with reporters Saturday.
"I didn't agree with it nor did I like it," Kadri said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
The timing of the fine was noteworthy, since Monday the Maple Leafs' leading scorer told reporters, "I've never once been fined even for embellishing or diving and I've been around a little while now."
Nazem Kadri, sporting a black eye from a scrum at the end of the #sabres game: "Yeah, I guess this is a dive, too."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 2, 2016
He took particular exception to an embellishment call from a March 21 game against the Calgary Flames when he went down after taking a slash from forward Josh Jooris.
"I looked at that particular play again. The guy wound up so far his stick was out of the frame. I couldn't see it anymore," Kadri said, according to Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press. "Not to mention the massive welt on the back of my leg after the fact.
"Whoever's making that decision I'd like to see them take one of those without padding and see how it feels. I don't know how I'm supposed to react."
Head coach Mike Babcock spoke out in defense of Kadri on Sunday, saying league officials must have received a memo not to call infractions against the forward.
Martin Hanzal of the Arizona Coyotes and Nail Yakupov of the Edmonton Oilers were also disciplined for diving on Friday, each receiving $2,000 fines.
