NEW YORK -- New York Rangers forward Theo Fleury was fined
$1,000 by the NHL on Wednesday, one day after making an obscene
gesture to fans at the conclusion of a 5-4 road victory over the
New York Islanders.
"Mr. Fleury's gesture lacked professionalism," said Colin
Campbell, the NHL's disciplinarian. "He has been advised that any
similar incident in the future will be dealt with more strictly and
he will be considered a repeat offender."
Fleury was taunted by fans, some of whom made reference to his
battles with substance abuse, and responded by crossing his arms in
an obscene gesture at those fans after the victory.
The action was caught on television, leading to the league
reprimand.
Before Wednesday's home game against Boston, Fleury said he
doesn't mind when fans boo, but says he has a hard time controlling
himself when they "get personal."
"It crosses a line," he said. "But this is just another thing
I have to deal with that I brought upon myself."
During his conversation with Campbell on Wednesday morning,
Fleury said he asked for better security at games.
"Those people have to be a little bit more aware of what is
going on," Fleury said.
Fleury has gone six games without an in-game penalty after
racking up 42 penalty minutes on a recent six-game road trip.
He said then that he was battling "personal issues" --
unrelated to substance abuse -- that were a distraction, but
promised his teammates he would contain himself during games.
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