NHL Hits Jake Walman with Double Fine After Fiery Game 3
Tensions boiled over as Jake Walman and the Edmonton Oilers crumbled in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. The NHL fines came swiftly on Tuesday after Walman’s outburst in the third period against the Florida Panthers, a game that ended in a dominant 6-1 Florida win.
After falling behind early, Edmonton briefly rallied with a power-play goal from Corey Perry. However, Sam Reinhart answered quickly for Florida, and the Panthers never looked back. Their offensive onslaught gave them a 2-1 series lead, but the real drama unfolded in the final frame.
The Oilers completely lost their composure in the third period. They racked up 16 penalties, totaling an eye-popping 75 minutes. Two of those were on Walman, who was twice called for roughing after landing punches on Panthers’ forward Matthew Tkachuk. Then, adding insult to injury, Walman was caught on camera spraying water from the Oilers’ bench toward Florida’s bench.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety acted fast. Walman was fined $5,000 for the roughing incident, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement. On top of that, he received another $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct tied to the water-squirting moment.
This marks a low point in an otherwise productive playoff run for Walman. The 29-year-old defenseman, who has logged eight points across the postseason, was expected to bring grit—not controversy—to Edmonton’s lineup.
His journey through the league has been anything but linear. Walman began with the St. Louis Blues, then moved to the Detroit Red Wings in 2022. In 2024, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks, and just months later, he landed in Edmonton at the trade deadline.
Now, with Game 4 looming on Thursday in Sunrise, Walman and the Oilers must regroup. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET, and Edmonton will aim to level the series before momentum swings too far in Florida’s favor.
