Mark Fistric Fined; Will Not Be Suspended

by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 1:42 PM CST in News Comment 40 comments

Mark Fistric was not suspended for hitting Eric Nystrom with a helmet during a fight in last night’s game. He was fined $2,500. He said after practice it was an accident and was relieved there was no suspension.

This is a fairly interesting outcome. Last night, after seeing the replays most of us were convinced he would be suspended and especially after receiving a match penalty for intent to injure. My guess is that a couple of major pieces factored into this decision:

No prior record
No injury from the hit.
It appeared as if the strap was caught on his hand and he swung anyway. This isn't a player grabbing a helmet and whacking him him with it, this was just an instantaneous screw up.
The fact that 'intention' cannot be proven in this case.
Eric Nystrom started the whole thing after a clean check.

Is it right? Probably not. The fact that Fistric missed most of the game and the Flames scored twice on the ensuing power plays probably helped him avoid suspension as well.

Your thoughts?

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WHOA!

Does this mean that he’s not getting the 1 game for the Match penalty either?

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 1:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Apparently not.

I think its….odd myself. Perhaps the NHL decided the ‘intent to injure’ wasn’t there.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 1:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But if so...

What are the refs for?

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 1:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nevermind

I was under the incorrect impression that a Match came with an auto-suspension. how dare I apply logic to the NHL.

Match penalty

A player who receives a match penalty is ejected. A match penalty is imposed for deliberately injuring another player, attempting to injure another player, or a goaltender going to the penalty box. Any player other than the goaltender must be chosen to go to the penalty box to serve a five minute major penalty during which he may not be substituted for on the ice. If the goaltender receives a match penalty, another player serves the time so that the team may immediately insert a backup. In practice, an NHL match penalty and game misconduct are virtually identical in application. Further, offending players are suspended from the next game their team plays, and often face hearings with the possibility of a lengthier ban.

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 1:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Match penalty

Yes the rule is for an extra game after the penalty, but the league can and in the past has waived that penalty.

But I guess the simple solution to all of this is to ban fighting and wrap the players in bubble wrap. This way we don’t have to have these mind numbing debates.

Right?

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by Art_M on Jan 28, 2010 1:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Logic has no place on the Interwebs

"Blind faith will lead you to the promised land...trust us." Texas Tech Administrators and Board of Regents (not a direct quote but it smells about right)

by Damien Franco on Jan 28, 2010 7:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Reasonable

I was assuming that a suspension was coming for the Match Penalty as well, but the intention is so hard to gauge, what can you really say about it? It was the right call on the ice, seeing it in real-time.

Riding the fine line of intent and mistake is what’s going on here and I think its fair.

Clayton
"The Opiated Sherpa"
@opiatedsherpa on Twitter

by OpiatedSherpa on Jan 28, 2010 1:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He grasped the ear hold and swung it

He should be suspended just to set an example that it’s unacceptable at the very least.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 1:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Really???? The ear hold???

Let’s see that once more in slow motion.

Can’t say that I agree with you there. Chin strap in hand when swinging.

Supporting your local ice troll, 24/7/365

by laughs2loud on Jan 28, 2010 2:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is that what he had?

In real time it looked like he had where the chin strap snapped to the helmet.

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 2:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

WHOA.

Let’s not make this into something else entirely. You make it sound like he hooked his hand into the ear hole and then swung right at his head.

What happened was he grabbed the strap on the side, and then tried to pull it off. Then he swung forward with his fist. Problem is, the strap was still in his fingers (not his full grasp).

It was just dumb all around. But malicious? I think not.

Lost is all of this is Nystrom being a baby about the whole damn thing.

Or Bourque nearly spearing Karlis Skrastins in the FACE with a broken stick. Where’s the uproar over THAT?

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you!

I’m glad I’m not the only one aghast at the idea that Rene Bourque got to skate around the ice with a sawed off stick and no one seems to give a damn.

by Art_M on Jan 28, 2010 2:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Post the video

I’d love to see that. I’ve hated Rene Borque for years.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hold on.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 2:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Sweet

Post it and we’ll drive traffic to you.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 2:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not video though, but a slideshow.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 2:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

good enough

Let’s see it!

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 3:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hold on! You're distracting me.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 3:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Look below.

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

by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 3:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bah! This blog needs more homerism! :P

Just be glad he didn’t get suspended and don’t look the gift horse in the mouth. For once the Stars come out okay. After the suspension on Nealer, I thought Fistric was doomed.

And just as an aside, that helmet looked awfully light weight, could it have possibly done any damage anyway?

Supporting your local ice troll, 24/7/365

by laughs2loud on Jan 28, 2010 1:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Probably not much. And maybe if it had been properly secured to his noggin it wouldn’t have come off.

by Sugaa on Jan 28, 2010 2:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with all the points you made behind the reasoning to not suspend him

he made a clean check and Nystrom took exception to it for no reason. A player shouldn’t be suspended for one possibly accidental swing of a helmet because the another player can’t take a hit.

"They’ve taken the Illini to the woodshed."
-Steve Lavin on Mizzou v. Illinois

by Mizzou12 on Jan 28, 2010 2:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bourque's Stabbing Attempt:

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 3:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Holy..

That even looks worse in stills! lol

And keep in mind he broke that stick on the other side of the ice along the boards.. so he had it for quite a while.

by Art_M on Jan 28, 2010 3:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice

This is fantastic. What a moron. Was he trying to hook Skrastins or was he poking him with the broken stick?

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 3:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Skrastins came in for the hit,

And Bourque freaking turned to him with the stick in his hand.

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by Brandon Worley on Jan 28, 2010 3:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

That’s unreal. If he would’ve made contact with him, it should absolutely have been a match penalty and suspension.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 3:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

and a hefty fine as well.

"Blind faith will lead you to the promised land...trust us." Texas Tech Administrators and Board of Regents (not a direct quote but it smells about right)

by Damien Franco on Jan 28, 2010 7:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I read on hockeybuzz

That it was a Latvian hate crime

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 3:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought this was even worse than what Fistric did...

Bourque’s a dirtball and this proves it.

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I'm a girl. The screen name can be misleading, I understand.

by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Jan 28, 2010 4:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

It was hard to tell from where I was sitting (other end of the arena, up high) that he carried it for that long.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 3:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Plus, his name is Rene

So….there’s that.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 3:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I am still waiting to hear how long Ott will be suspended for not showing an appropriate amount of shame on the bench during this incident.

The hockey gods are fickle. Today they are Stars fans. Yay! Let’s take it and Fistric’s fists of fear and move on to beating Colorado tomorrow.

I must have this thing for hockey boys from Whitby with the initials JN.

by Happy Girl on Jan 28, 2010 3:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Great news.

The Flames are clowns anyway.

by TheCrow471 on Jan 28, 2010 4:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'll be a homer

I’m thrilled beyond belief that Mark didn’t get the game suspension he was thinking it would be. Course, I’m biased. Him and Ott are my favs. :-D So take it as you will.

**Proof SOME rules are meant to be broken**

by PNLTBX on Jan 28, 2010 4:08 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

This made my day.

I’m so, so, SO happy Fishsticks wasn’t suspended. Of course, you’ll have those that will say he deserved a suspension (Mike Keenan) but what does that matter now? :)

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I'm a girl. The screen name can be misleading, I understand.

by Brad_Richards_Rocks on Jan 28, 2010 4:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Good Decision

Although Mark did hit him in the head, he did not argue with the referees and it seemed as if he knew he broke a rule. I am glad to see the NHL utilized their “Suspension Flow Chart” on this one.

by Speedbump Joey on Jan 28, 2010 4:38 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

That flow chart rocks.

"Blind faith will lead you to the promised land...trust us." Texas Tech Administrators and Board of Regents (not a direct quote but it smells about right)

by Damien Franco on Jan 28, 2010 7:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

For the awesome flow chart!

by chichitao on Jan 29, 2010 9:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Brandon, do you think the NHL is even going to look at the “Stick” incident? Did anyone (Coaching, Team) make any kind of protest? It was very dangerous and stupid. I cant believe they make issues out of stupid stuff and things like this just go unanswered.
Mike

by k9mike on Jan 29, 2010 7:00 AM CST reply actions 0 recs