Curtis Douglas Fined After Chaotic Battle of Florida: What It Means for the Rookie Enforcer
The Battle of Florida lived up to its name Thursday night, delivering a full-blown melee that left the ice littered with gloves, sticks, and penalty minutes. And now, it’s also left one player a little lighter in the wallet.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Curtis Douglas has been fined $2,018.23 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for serving as the aggressor in an altercation with Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. The fine, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, will be donated to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The incident unfolded in the third period of Tampa Bay’s emphatic 6-1 win over their in-state rivals. Just minutes after a wild line brawl that featured multiple fights and game misconducts-including a fiery rematch between Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk-Douglas took exception to a heavy hit Mikkola laid on Lightning star Nikita Kucherov.
After the whistle, Douglas went after the Finnish defenseman, clearly looking to spark another fight. But Mikkola wasn’t interested, and linesmen quickly stepped in before things escalated further.
In total, the game racked up a staggering 147 penalty minutes-exactly the kind of chaos that’s become synonymous with this rivalry. For Douglas, though, this marks the first time he’s been hit with supplemental discipline in the NHL.
The 25-year-old rookie is still finding his footing in the league, and his path to the big show has been anything but conventional. Originally with the Utah Mammoth franchise back when they were still the Arizona Coyotes, Douglas was waived before the 2025-26 season and picked up by Tampa Bay.
Since joining the Lightning, he’s appeared in 29 games, tallying just two assists. But offense isn’t what he’s here for.
Douglas has made his presence known with his physicality and willingness to drop the gloves. He’s already racked up eight fighting majors this season, including a December 27 scrap with Panthers forward Luke Kunin. His 92 penalty minutes speak volumes about his role-and his impact-on the ice.
This isn’t new territory for Douglas. During his time in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners, he consistently posted triple-digit penalty minute seasons, peaking at 148 PIMs in 2023-24. He’s a throwback to the kind of enforcer that’s become rare in today’s NHL-a player who makes his living by being tough to play against and even tougher to ignore.
While the fine won’t derail his season, it’s a reminder that even in heated rivalries, there’s a line the league expects players not to cross. For Douglas, the message is clear: keep bringing the edge, but stay within the bounds.
And for fans of this Florida feud, don’t expect the intensity to cool anytime soon. If anything, Thursday night showed us that the Battle of Florida is only getting hotter.