- May 21, 2026
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A night in the chocolate-famous town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, wasn’t too sweet for Washington Capitals forward Andrew Cristall on Monday.
On Tuesday, the NHL announced that the 21-year-old had been fined $2,250.86, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for cross-checking Philadelphia Flyers forward Hunter McDonald after McDonald collided with newly re-signed Capitals star Ryan Leonard midway through the second period.
Cristall, the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, entered the altercation after McDonald hit Leonard and cross-checked McDonald in the face, forcing the Philadelphia forward to the ice, before Cristall laid a secondary cross-check to his back.
After the altercation, the referee on the ice charged Cristall with a five-minute cross-checking penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct. However, it wouldn’t benefit the Flyers, who conceded three more times in an eventual 5-2 loss at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
“His heart was in the right place,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the game about Cristall’s efforts. “He’s trying to stick up for a teammate that just got hit. I didn’t see the replay. Obviously, they gave him a five-minute major. But I told our guys, as AC is in that moment, and obviously, it’s high or whatever they call it on the ice, but his heart’s in the right place.
“He’s trying to stick up for one of his brothers. He’s trying to do the right thing and puts us shorthanded, but as I said, I know where he was coming from, and I appreciate that. You just want to try to do that as cleanly as you can in those moments.”
Set to turn 22 in February, Cristall is looking to make his NHL debut with the Capitals this season, after scoring 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 72 AHL games with the Hershey Bears in his first professional season in 2025-26.
The Capitals have two remaining preseason games against the Boston Bruins and Flyers on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, before turning their focus toward the regular-season opener on Oct. 2 against the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the Carolina Hurricanes.
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On Tuesday, the NHL announced that the 21-year-old had been fined $2,250.86, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for cross-checking Philadelphia Flyers forward Hunter McDonald after McDonald collided with newly re-signed Capitals star Ryan Leonard midway through the second period.
Cristall, the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, entered the altercation after McDonald hit Leonard and cross-checked McDonald in the face, forcing the Philadelphia forward to the ice, before Cristall laid a secondary cross-check to his back.
After the altercation, the referee on the ice charged Cristall with a five-minute cross-checking penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct. However, it wouldn’t benefit the Flyers, who conceded three more times in an eventual 5-2 loss at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
“His heart was in the right place,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the game about Cristall’s efforts. “He’s trying to stick up for a teammate that just got hit. I didn’t see the replay. Obviously, they gave him a five-minute major. But I told our guys, as AC is in that moment, and obviously, it’s high or whatever they call it on the ice, but his heart’s in the right place.
“He’s trying to stick up for one of his brothers. He’s trying to do the right thing and puts us shorthanded, but as I said, I know where he was coming from, and I appreciate that. You just want to try to do that as cleanly as you can in those moments.”
Set to turn 22 in February, Cristall is looking to make his NHL debut with the Capitals this season, after scoring 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 72 AHL games with the Hershey Bears in his first professional season in 2025-26.
The Capitals have two remaining preseason games against the Boston Bruins and Flyers on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, before turning their focus toward the regular-season opener on Oct. 2 against the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Continue reading...