The NHL did, in fact, contact Brad Marchand to discuss his licking habit, and made it clear it won't be tolerated again.
Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations, spoke with the Boston Bruins forward and his general manager, Don Sweeney, on Saturday, the league confirmed.
The NHL added that it put Marchand on notice that his actions Friday night - presumably referring to his lick of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan's face - were "unacceptable" and that similar behavior in the future will result in supplemental discipline.
Marchand licked Callahan's face after the Lightning winger shoved him twice in response to Marchand's low hit on him in the second period of Tampa Bay's Game 4 victory.
That led to Marchand licking Callahan's face, which prompted the league to get involved and ensure he'll be asked to stop licking players immediately, as TSN's Darren Dreger reported earlier Saturday.
Here's the full sequence as it unfolded in the second period of Game 4:
Erik Karlsson often leaves Ottawa Senators fans salivating for more with his play on the ice, so perhaps it's only natural he weighed in on Brad Marchand's penchant for licking opponents.
Unprompted, the superstar defenseman posed a surprising, but thought-provoking question when an Ottawa fan made his thoughts clear after the Boston Bruins pest licked Ryan Callahan of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
Kruger cleared waivers in February and was assigned to the Charlotte Checkers, where he collected eight points in 19 games after managing only six points in 48 contests with Carolina.
Martinook potted six goals and chipped in 15 points while appearing in all but one regular-season game for the Coyotes this season.
Both players have another year left on their contracts, with Kruger on the books for about $2.7 million in 2018-19 after Carolina retains 10 percent of his salary, per CapFriendly. Martinook carries a cap hit of $1.8 million.
He passed away at his home in Florida, the NHL confirmed Thursday afternoon.
Torrey was the architect of the Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the early 1980s and later helped build the Panthers into instant contenders in the following decade.
"It is no wonder that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and was the recipient of a Lester Patrick Award," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement Thursday.
"From his iconic bow tie, retired by the Islanders organization, to his devilish sense of humor, he truly was one of a kind," Bettman continued. "He grew up in close proximity to NHL greatness, near the Montreal Forum, where his passion for the game at all levels developed at an early age. He attended as many games as he could in junior rinks, where he was as at home as at an NHL Board of Governors meeting - and his counsel was sought out at both.
"On a personal level, Bill was a close and cherished friend and a great source of counsel. I will miss his wit, wisdom and warmth."
Torrey became the Islanders' first employee in 1972 and spent 21 years with the franchise, including 20 as GM and alternate governor.
"Bill set the model for how to build a franchise with the leadership he instilled through his coaching staff, his innovative drafting methods, and the trades he executed," current Islanders president and GM Garth Snow said Thursday.
"He was a pioneer, who became a mentor and even better friend, to so many in the industry. The teams he constructed set records that may never be broken, including the four straight Stanley Cup Championships and 19 straight playoff series wins. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to Bill's family."
Torrey was named president of the expansion Panthers in 1993 and helped them reach the Cup Final three years later. He retired in 2001.
Panthers owner Vincent Viola said Thursday that he was heartbroken to hear of Torrey's passing, offered condolences to the family, and said it was an honor to work with him, while current President GM Dale Tallon also expressed his thoughts on one of modern hockey's most influential figures.
"Bill was a giant of our game," Tallon said. "He was the architect of a dynasty, a Hockey Hall of Famer and most importantly, a committed family man. I'm heartbroken by the news of his passing. Bill was a mentor and a dear friend who was instrumental in bringing me to South Florida to work alongside him.
"He was a wonderful person who never lost his passion for the game and loved being at the rink," Tallon continued. "I am proud to have worked with him and I will always be grateful for his support and friendship. He was a legend and the original Panther. I send my deepest condolences to his family and many friends. Bill's tremendous legacy will never be forgotten."
Torrey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to the hockey community in 1983.
Zach Werenski will be out until at least early October as he recovers from a shoulder procedure.
The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman had surgery Thursday to repair an injured shoulder and his recovery is expected to take five-to-six months, the club revealed.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Werenski has been dealing with the ailment since early this season, and the expectation is that the talented blue-liner will be ready to play by the start of next season or shortly thereafter.
Werenski ranked second only to defense partner Seth Jones among Blue Jackets in average ice time during the 2017-2018 regular season, logging 22:35 per game before the playoffs and bumping that up to 24:11 (fourth on the team) in the postseason.
He potted 16 goals and collected 37 points in 77 regular-season contests, chipping in a goal and three points in the Blue Jackets' six playoff games.
Matthews was presumably asked about it because Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos speculated Thursday morning that Babcock lost trust in Matthews down the stretch.
The 20-year-old center said that notion is totally untrue and that the media will speculate as they choose, adding that he wasn't pleased when he heard it being floated, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.
On another note, Matthews acknowledged he doesn't make the lineup decisions but said he'd like to play with Mitch Marner more in the future, per Johnston.
Marner and Matthews played a total of 72:46 together at 5-on-5 over 62 games in the regular season, posting a 61.64 Scoring Chances For percentage and a 48.57 Corsi For percentage.
They played together for 11:28 across the Leafs' seven first-round playoff games, compiling a 54.55 Scoring Chances For percentage and a Corsi For rate of exactly 50 percent at 5-on-5.
There's still a long way to go in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but several players have begun to state their respective cases in the hunt for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
From veteran household names to a budding young star, here are the players who've been most valuable to their teams in the postseason so far:
5. Nikita Kucherov
Like some of his Conn Smythe competition, Kucherov averaged a goal per game (and two points per contest) in his first-round series as the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatched the New Jersey Devils in five.
Kucherov's contributions have been clutch, as three of his five goals were eventual game-winners, including the go-ahead marker in Game 4 that came after he set up the tying goal, and which was then followed by a Kucherov insurance marker.
The dynamic forward was in the Hart Trophy conversation for much of the regular season, and he's continued to thrive in the playoffs, helping the Lightning make quick work of the Devils.
4. Martin Jones
If not for the goaltender he's about to face (more on him later), Jones might be a Conn Smythe front-runner, but he certainly deserves to be in the discussion.
The San Jose Sharks netminder has been stellar so far in the postseason, allowing only four goals combined in the club's first-round sweep of the Anaheim Ducks.
Jones was ranked fifth in our first edition of these rankings last week, and then he went out and stopped 30-of-31 shots in the Sharks' series-clinching victory in Game 4.
3. David Pastrnak
Sure, the 21-year-old Boston Bruins forward cooled off after his hat trick and six-point performance in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, notching a pair of assists in Game 4 but being held pointless in three of the next four games.
However, Pastrnak busted out of his mini-funk and provided the dagger in Game 7, showing great patience and then burying one to give the Bruins a 6-4 lead with about eight minutes left in the third period.
It was a timely goal that all but put away the Leafs, and it punctuated what was a tremendous series on the whole for the immensely talented young winger.
2. Sidney Crosby
Crosby is tied with Pastrnak and Jake Guentzel for the points lead so far this postseason, but unlike his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate, the captain's 2018 playoff prowess hasn't been essentially limited to one incredible game.
Yes, they both racked up six goals and 13 points in the Penguins' six-game series against the Philadelphia Flyers, and while Guentzel's four-goal, five-point eruption in Game 6 was impressive, Crosby was productive all series long with goals in four of the six games, a hat trick in Game 1, and four multi-point efforts.
Here's a look at Sid's series:
Game
G
A
P
1
3
0
3
2
0
0
0
3
1
3
4
4
1
1
2
5
0
1
1
6
1
2
3
The two-time reigning Conn Smythe winner is off to a roaring start in his quest for a third - and in pursuit of a fourth Stanley Cup championship.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
The Vegas Golden Knights haven't played a game since our first edition of the rankings, but the face of the franchise still has the best save percentage and goals-against average of any goalie in the playoffs.
The NHL is going to make fans wait to find out which teams land the three highest picks in the upcoming draft.
Saturday's lottery will be a little different than previous years, as the top three picks won't be revealed until the second intermission of Game 2 between the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights, according to Sportsnet.
Picks No. 15 through No. 4 will be announced earlier in the evening, during the network's pregame show beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Game 2 is scheduled to begin after 8 p.m. ET.
The Buffalo Sabres have the highest odds (18.5 percent) of securing the first overall pick by virtue of having the league's worst record this season. The Ottawa Senators and Arizona Coyotes finished with the second- and third-worst marks in the NHL, respectively.
