Adam Fantilli is making his NHL debut tonight, but not without some controversy. The rookie center is causing a stir among the NHL following his recent decision, which goes directly against league policy.
As Adam Fantillit took the ice this evening for the first time in his NHL career, fans noticed that he was already breaking the NHL's rules. The league has placed much importance on players wearing helmets during warmups, but that didn't stop Fantilli from refusing to wear one during his rookie lap.
The punishment for refusing to wear a helmet during warmups is $2,500 per game, but we doubt that will be an issue for Fantilli, who is making just under $1 million per year on his entry-level contract.
Immediately fans began to draw comparisons to Connor Bedard, who pulled the same stunt during his rookie lap a few nights ago. Bedard, along with fellow rookie teammate Kevin Korschinski, refused to wear their helmets for warmups in their NHL debut against Pittsburgh.
That leaves us to wonder if Fantilli was trying to echo what Bedard did, or if his decision was motivated by something entirely different. Either way, we're excited to see what he can do!
