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http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2002/0123/1316236.html
Fleury fined $1,000 for gesture after game
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Rangers forward Theo Fleury has been fined $1,000 for what the NHL determined was "an inappropriate gesture directed at some fans" after Tuesday's games against the New York Islanders.
The fine is the maximum allowable. The Rangers lost 5-4 at Nassau Coliseum.
"Mr. Fleury's gesture lacked professionalism," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "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 had gone five games without a penalty after racking up 42 penalty minutes on a recent six-game West Coast road trip.
He said he was battling "personal issues" that were a distraction, but promised his teammates he would contain himself during games.
Fleury was taunted by fans on Long Island on Tuesday night during the Rangers' stunning comeback from a 4-1 deficit.
Some wore No. 14 Rangers sweaters but had derogatory names on the back where Fleury's surname should have been. Fleury was apparently directing the obscene gestures at some of those fans after the victory.
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I'm a big Rangers fan and personally Theo Fleury is one of my favorite players. You have to love his grit and determination for being the smallest player in the NHL. He has battled through lots of adversity and I give him credit for that. However, this was simply embarrassing. I was watching the game and saw what he did..... I can understand him being mad at those pesky Islander fans but lots of athletes get picked on during games and you just have to ignore it. That's part of getting paid the millions of dollars. Fleury was also doing a very good job toning down his act. As the article states, he hadn't taken a penalty in 5 games and he didn't explode when he scored the winning goal last night like he usually would.


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