Jamie Benn’s Cross-Checking Fine Highlights Inconsistencies by Department of Player Safety – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is being questioned again following the announcement that Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn received a fine of $2,604.17 for cross-checking. The infraction was very similar to the one that cost Auston Matthews a two-game suspension in 2022.

Dallas’ Jamie Benn has been fined $2,604.17, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 29, 2026

This decision to give Benn a fine has reignited a conversation about the Department’s consistency.

Benn Cross-Checks Hartman’s Head Following High-Stick

During the Game 5 matchup between the Stars and the Minnesota Wild, Benn was entangled with Ryan Hartman, and the Wild forward caught him in the head during the battle.

Benn responded with a cross-check just seconds later in a corner battle.

He approached Hartman from behind, gave him a shot in the arm, and another cross-check to the side of the head/upper neck area.

Benn was given a two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking on the play, and Hartman had received an offsetting penalty.

Matthews Given 2 Games for Same Situation

The controversy this decision brought comes from how close this looks to the Matthews situation.

In 2022, Matthews cross-checked Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, hitting him in the neck. and was given two games for it. As Matthews and Dahlin were skating towards the Sabres’ net, they got physical, and Matthews stumbled due to a push. He retaliated by doing the exact same thing Benn did.

In the NHL’s video explaining Matthews’ suspension, it was stated, “Matthews aggressively retaliates by raising his stick significantly, and creating this contact. This is a high, forceful cross-check that makes contact with an opponent’s neck with sufficient force to merit supplementary discipline.”

This perfectly describes what happened with Benn.

External Factors Don’t Add Up to No Suspension

One of the worst-kept secrets is that suspensions are not as long in the playoffs. While it isn’t official, the Department of Player Safety typically gives half of the number of games a suspension would be in the regular season, or at the very least, a reduced amount.

This comes from the degree of importance each playoff game has. It is a part of how they decide the suspension lengths. Looking at the two, Matthews’ was in the regular season, so a one-game suspension would have made sense.

Another factor when it comes to determining the suspension length is their history. Benn has quite a bit of one.

Jamie Benn Fines & Suspensions

Apr. 9, 2026	Cross-Checking	Fined $2,604.17	Playoffs
May 16, 2025	Roughing	Fined $5,000	Playoffs
May 28, 2023	Cross-Checking	Suspended 2 Games	Playoffs
May 10, 2022	Tripping	Fined $5,000	Playoffs
May 8, 2022	High-Sticking	Fined $5,000	Playoffs
Feb. 19, 2022	Unsportsmanlike Conduct	Fined $5,000	Regular Season

The Department of Player Safety deems a player to be a repeat offender for 18 months following his most recent incident that resulted in a suspension.

By that definition, Benn is not a repeat offender, but they also state, “It is important to note that even if a Player is not defined as a repeat offender, his past history may come into consideration when determining future Supplemental Discipline.”

Benn certainly has a history, and while he only has one suspension, he has crossed the line many times.

The way these suspensions are given out has so much grey area that it leaves them open for plenty of criticism. They have their processes to determine suspensions, but the question about consistency will always be around if they keep making decisions like this.