NHL Player Safety has handed Capitals forward Andrew Cristall a $2,250.86 fine, the maximum allowed under the CBA, after a preseason cross-check on Flyers defenseman Hunter Mcdonald.
The play came at 7:07 of the second period in Washington’s game against Philadelphia. Cristall lifted his stick high and cross-checked Mcdonald in the face, a response to Mcdonald’s earlier hit on Washington’s Ryan Leonard along the boards while Leonard was off balance.
Cristall was assessed a five-minute major and a ten-minute game misconduct on the spot.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins are dealing with a cluster of injury updates as players try to lock down roster spots. Pittsburgh said forwards Ville Koivunen, Justin Brazeau, and Benjamin Kindel are all day-to-day, and Carter Sanderson will be in the lineup for tonight’s preseason game because Koivunen is out.
Brazeau and Kindel also missed training camp practice on Wednesday. Koivunen, who signed an eight-year extension worth $32MM this offseason, was hit in the face by a puck during an intrasquad scrimmage.
Brazeau and Kindel were hurt in Pittsburgh’s last preseason game. Brazeau kept playing after taking a trip into the boards, while Kindel left early with a lower-body injury, according to the team. Kindel had been skating on a line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Bryan Rust in the first period, and the trio combined for two shots in six shifts before he exited.
Sanderson, 19, was a sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2025. The Lincoln, Nebraska native put up 34 points last season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL.
In Other News...
Capitals Preseason Win Put One Washington Roster Battle Front And Center
A 5-2 preseason win over the Flyers gave the Capitals a useful look at a lineup still sorting itself out, and it also put one of camps deeper storylines right in the middle of the action. Dylan Strome wore an alternate captains role and chipped in a goal and an assist, Ryan Leonard stayed noticeable throughout the night, and Jonny Brodzinski gave Washington a strong burst in a game that had the feel of a roster test as much as a tune-up.
The forward mix is still being evaluated, and performances like this tend to carry extra weight this time of year. Jordan Kyrou also made his Capitals debut and picked up an assist, adding another layer to a group that is trying to figure out who fits where before opening night, while Andrew Cristalls game misconduct for a cross-check served as a reminder that even preseason nights can turn tense in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About The NHLs Latest Response
Andrew Cristalls night against Philadelphia ended up carrying a little extra league attention, with the Capitals forward drawing a fine after an on-ice scrap that followed a collision involving Ryan Leonard. The play itself was enough to bring a five-minute major and a game misconduct, a reminder of how quickly a routine sequence can tilt into something the NHL office has to sort through afterward.
For Washington, the episode also fit a familiar pattern this time of year, when the line between protecting a teammate and crossing over into discipline can get blurry in a hurry. Spencer Carbery addressed Cristalls intentions after the game, framing the moment through the lens of loyalty and reaction, while the leagues ruling left both sides with plenty to think about heading into the next meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis Just Took On A Powerful New NHL Role
The NHL has shifted one of its most influential off-ice jobs to a familiar face in Washington, with Capitals owner Ted Leonsis elevated to lead the leagues Board of Governors. The league announced that Leonsis was unanimously elected chairman, putting him in the role long held by Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who stepped down after 19 years at the helm.
For Capitals fans, the move adds another layer to Leonsis already outsized presence in the sport, since his voice will now carry even more weight in league-level decisions. Calgary Flames governor Murray Edwards also moved into a key leadership spot as vice-chair, signaling a new era atop the board even as the full scope of Leonsis influence is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]