TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 29: Nazem Kadri #43 of the Toronto Maple Leafs waits for a puck drop against the Tampa Bay Lightning during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on February 29, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Lightning defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Nazem Kadri wants you to know there’s a difference between diving and embellishing

The NHL is still trying to cut down on diving and embellishment in the sport and one of their methods involves publicly shaming those busted for theatrics. Nazem Kadri was recently fined $5,000 for a series of three dives or acts of embellishment across a set of several games.

Kadri, who is one of the best at drawing penalties in the NHL, wasn’t happy with the decision and spoke out about the ruling. Particularly, he’s adamant there’s a difference between diving and embellishing.

There is a difference between diving and making a penalty more obvious, but the fact remains that both acts are considered illegal as defined by the NHL. Kadri may not want to be labeled as a diver, but is it better to be considered a player who embellishes?

If Kadri doesn’t adjust the way he plays, it’s pretty likely he’ll be facing additional fines. He denies having a reputation, but head coach Mike Babcock might disagree.

Kadri may want to tone down the embellishing a bit for the foreseeable future. The NHL is keeping a close eye on the forward and they won’t hesitate to hand out additional fines for his actions. Unfortunately, it seems like Kadri is more interesting in debating the differences between diving and acting instead of eliminating the acting from his game.

About David Rogers

Editor for The Comeback and Contributing Editor for Awful Announcing. Lover of hockey, soccer and all things pop culture.

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