Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for his blindside hit Wednesday night on Ottawa Senators forward Angus Crookshank.
Byram received a two-minute minor penalty for interference for leveling Crookshank with the shoulder-to-shoulder hit in the Sabres' defensive zone when Buffalo was trailing 4-0 with 4:37 left in the first period.
The fine, which is the maximum allowable by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, will go toward the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.