Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Minnesota Wild's Brock Faber (7) controls the puck on an attack as Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn (14) defends in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)un (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman, center, commits a goaltender interference penalty against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, left, during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 3Wild Stars HockeyDallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 3Wild Stars HockeyDallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)2 / 3Wild Stars HockeyMinnesota Wild's Brock Faber (7) controls the puck on an attack as Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn (14) defends in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)un (ASSOCIATED PRESS)3 / 3Stars Wild HockeyMinnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman, center, commits a goaltender interference penalty against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, left, during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Associated PressWed, April 29, 2026 at 7:45 PM UTC·1 min readDALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was fined Wednesday by the NHL for cross-checking Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman after a heated exchange between the players during Game 5 of the first-round playoff series.
Benn and Hartman came together with 5:15 left in the Wild's 4-2 win on Tuesday night that gave them a 3-2 series lead.
The fine of $2,604.17 against Benn was the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
After Hartman's high shove on Benn near the Minnesota net, the Stars forward gathered himself and responded with cross-checks to the back and then high around the neck/shoulder area. Benn was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking, and Hartman got a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, creating a 4-on-4 situation.
The Wild host Game 6 on Thursday night, when they have to a chance to clinch their first playoff series victory since 2015.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl