The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the biggest benefactors of the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund this season. On Monday, they contributed another $5,000 as Brandon Hagel was fined for his actions in the Bolts’ 8-7 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In case you were wondering, yes, that is the maximum amount allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The stated reason he was fined was “for serving as the aggressor in an altercation with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin”. Roughly translated, that means Hagel kept whaling on Dahlin after the defender made it clear that he didn’t want to fight.
Brandon Hagel received a double minor for this dirty play on Rasmus Dahlin😬
— Everything Hockey (@ehclothing.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 9:53 PM
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Let’s go ahead and break this down.
Dahlin initiates things with a nice cross-check to the back of Hagel. Technically illegal, but it also happens roughly 482 times every game. Hagel, who is known to be just a touch intense on the ice, reacts in typical Hagelian fashion.
First he breaks his own stick with a cross-check of his own. Then he goes for the headlock that Dahlin blocks with a stiff arm. As the play continues around him, Hagel has his left hand locked on the collar of Dahlin’s jersey. He’s not going to let him go even as Dahlin tries to skate away.
If he had let go at this point, there probably isn’t even a penalty called despite the shattered remnants of his stick laying on the ice. However, Hagel isn’t exactly the type of guy to “let things go”. He’s an escalator that only goes up, baby. Tugging at the collar isn’t enough so he starts flinging punches, catching Dahlin in the back of the head. Then Hagel gets a couple of more shots in before the swarm of humanity envelopes them.
Hagel ended up with a well-deserved double-roughing minor, but somehow avoided a major or misconduct, which were warranted. Buffalo made the Lightning pay by converting on the first penalty to push the lead to 3-0 at the time. The Bolts would rally back (with Hagel scoring a goal to make it 7-5 in favor of the Lightning) before eventually falling.
It’s actually the second aggressor fine the Lightning have picked up in the last month as Curtis Douglas was hit with a fine for the same reason in a game against Florida.
By our rudimentary, and probably wildly incorrect (blame the Maryland public school system), math, Hagel’s fine brings the Lightning’s total to $139,259.90 for the season. Note, this doesn’t count money forfeited by J.J. Moser and Scott Sabourin for their suspensions at the beginning of the season. Good for them for helping out their fellow players!
