Video Of Mark Fistric Hitting Eric Nystrom With His Own Helmet

by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 10:59 PM CST in General Comment 31 comments

The Dallas Stars pulled off a nice win tonight against the Flames, but forgotten in the comeback was what led to the Stars getting down so early:

Ok. I'm a Dallas Stars fan, and I'm a huge Mark Fistric fan. But I'm also a realist.

He's going to get hammered for this. You cannot hit another player with his own helmet, whether it was intentional or not. The NHL has strict rules about intent to injure with foreign objects (which why Steve Ott couldn't fight last year with a cast on), and the league is going to come down hard on him for this.

Fistric is a fiery guy, and he didn't even want to fight Nystrom, who didn't like taking a big hit apparently. That doesn't mean Fistric gets a pass for this incident.

Like I said, I'm a big Fistric fan, but I just can't see him getting out of this one clean. It's going to be all over ESPN and the league won't like that.

Also, don't want to see anyone coming here and calling Fistric anything bad. This was a dumb move, but does not suddenly make him a dirty player.

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It was bad judgement on Fistric's part to hold on to Nystrom's helmet when he hit him.

But Fistric is far from being a dirty player.

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by terig on Jan 27, 2010 11:06 PM CST reply actions

Exactly.

Bad judgment, that’s all.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:09 PM CST up reply actions

I'm not sure I would even call it bad judgement, more the heat of the moment.

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by laughs2loud on Jan 27, 2010 11:10 PM CST up reply actions

Well...

It’s already all over the internet and ESPN.

Goodie.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:12 PM CST up reply actions

Yep, just been on Puck Daddy.

Thanks for defending Fistric!

Ooff, I’ve gotta get to bed. Work. Work. Work.

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by laughs2loud on Jan 27, 2010 11:18 PM CST up reply actions

Well

It does look unintentional but i still do see some punishment coming. I asked got the opinion of a few flames fans and said it looked innocent and found it funny for the most part. Hopefully the nhl views it in a similar fashion.

by modano9 on Jan 27, 2010 11:24 PM CST reply actions

I don't think he was like

“i’m hitting this guy over the head with his own helmet.”

It was a split second thing. He should have been aware and continued his swing with the helmet on his hand.

At least it was only one swing.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:30 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

agreed

obviously he should have realized that he had the strap caught in his clenched fist, but at the same time he was probably only thinking about cocking back and swinging. while assuming that he threw the helmet. but things like this happen and good thing no injury occurred, yet a couple games is likely coming…

by modano9 on Jan 27, 2010 11:45 PM CST up reply actions

Why is the first article about tonight's HUGE win NEGATIVE

We should be focusing on the great comeback and the stars now within 2 points of a playoff spot, than worrying about Fistric’s penalty!

That guy deserved to get hit over the head with his own helmet…

I think sometimes we fall into the trap of negativity and always looking for something to complain about.

Let’s just enjoy the win first before we start nit picking…this is a HUGE win tonight

Alex Auld showed he should be the starter..

by 5PointPuckism on Jan 27, 2010 11:30 PM CST reply actions

Not nit picking at all, or being negative.

Just addressing something that’s already getting attention nationally.

We’ll have a lot more on the positives from tonight, believe me.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:33 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Rebuttal

(Fistric’s initial hit was the buttal. :D)

Injuries have been shifting the roster around, so I’m especially inclined to see this as a major development update, not negativity. Plenty of people who’ll be surfing in because of this don’t care about the win, so addressing it is also an important part of keeping DBD current.

by laurenb on Jan 27, 2010 11:34 PM CST up reply actions

Very true.

But I can see 5Point’s uhhhhhh….point. This was a nice win, he wants to talk about it.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Then latepants should have been in on the game uberthread(s), no?

Just kidding! Fair all around. :D

by laurenb on Jan 27, 2010 11:41 PM CST up reply actions

NHL on the Fly didn't even talk about it

But I bet he gets 4 or 5 games.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 27, 2010 11:41 PM CST reply actions

Benn's "Oh sh*t" face sums it all up rather well.

Lots of unfiltered emotion there — love that kid.

by laurenb on Jan 27, 2010 11:46 PM CST reply actions

That and Otter's intense analysis of it with Sutherby, followed by the look on Crow's face.

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by laughs2loud on Jan 28, 2010 8:39 AM CST up reply actions

Heika has a great run down of the incident:

“It’s too bad. Fistric had a clean hit on Nystrom that Nystrom took exception to. Fistric was winning the fight and just ended up with Nystrom’s helmet by the strap, and then he swung his fist and hit Nystrom in the head with the helmet.”

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 27, 2010 11:50 PM CST via mobile reply actions

It's really unfortunate because I enjoyed Fistric's attitude up to that point.

Nystrom came whining to him, and Fistric said “Oh yeah? Well I’m gonna beat your ass, how about that?”

Unfortunately, the helmet thing happened and ruined what was otherwise a pretty classic sequence.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 12:17 AM CST reply actions

still love it

its great. especially if there’s no real damager from it. love it. cherish the kid’s moment of wreaking havoc. it was awesome. i hope to see more of it. he might be short, but he’s a physical beast.

by agvdstars on Jan 28, 2010 9:07 AM CST up reply actions

The more I see it...

The more it looks to me like the helmet was inconveniencing Fistric. He an agenda, and that helmet was in his way.

So say that he should be more careful.

Say that it’s responsibility to know what’s going on with his hands….

But don’t say it was intentional. If you know anything about Marc Fistric, you would know it clearly wasn’t.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 12:55 AM CST reply actions

Ok, so I slept on it.

And now that I’m more coherent, here are my thoughts:

It was a split second thing. One motion, grab the helmet, rip it off, swing and punch. The problem was that the helmet was caught on his hand when he punched. He immediately dropped the helmet and continued the fight.

Hopefully, the NHL uses some context here. I’m not holding my breath.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog on SBN: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 8:19 AM CST reply actions

that's exactly what happened

i just commented below, but in the heat of the moment, you’re supposed to rip something off, drop it, and punch, all with one hand and motion. give me a break. that’s impossible. not even an athlete like lebron could do that. well maybe.

i don’t think he gets suspended. maybe a fine. it shouldn’t be more than that. i think when he whipped back with the helmet the first time he thought it would leave his hand, but it didn’t. oh well. gotta move on to KICKING COLORADO’S YOU KNOW WHAT!

by agvdstars on Jan 28, 2010 9:03 AM CST up reply actions

If there is a silver lining to a possible suspension, is that hopefully we'll be able to see Fortunus called up again.

Gotta have hockey!
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by terig on Jan 28, 2010 8:30 AM CST reply actions

I know the topic was the helmet hit but can I just say that was a BEAUTIFUL hipcheck by Fistric.

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by laughs2loud on Jan 28, 2010 8:36 AM CST reply actions

I still heart Fishsticks.

He’s not a dirty guy, but I think he was so caught up in the fight that he forgot to discard the helmet. Unfortunately, I can see a suspension coming, but I don’t care.

Fistric is bad-ass, and those haters need to deal with it ;)

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by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Jan 28, 2010 8:49 AM CST reply actions

He was out for pretty much all of that game..

He got a match penalty – intent to injure and I think that caries with it at least a game suspension doesn’t it?

I can’t see the NHL laying down the hammer much if at all on this one… Still though they do have to say something because intentional or not he still hit him with a helmet.. Fisty may have been lucky that Nystrom wears that flimsy PoS rather than a bulkier and heavier padded helmet.

It looks more comical than anything and even family members up here who are diehard Flames fans laughed it off.

No harm no real foul I guess.

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by Art Middleton on Jan 28, 2010 8:57 AM CST reply actions