Dallas Stars Daily Links: The NHL Can't Make Up Its Mind About Charging

You know, I might be less annoyed by the whole Mark Fistric suspension if the NHL's official Twitter didn't rub in it my face how wrong the decision was.

Since Fistric clobbered Nino Niederreiter with a huge hit on Saturday, the league's Twitter feed has given highlight of the night status and glowing reviews to two hits that were equal or more charges.

The first and much more blatant one came Sunday as the Vancouver Canucks took on the Calgary Flames. Here's the league's Tweet.

BOOM! This @Ryan_Kesler hit will keep you awake today: http://bit.ly/vvmCmx #Canucks

Let me channel Brendan Shanahan here for a second, basically directly quoting his rationale as it applies to this hit. At 10:06 of the first period, Blake Comeau of the Calgary Flames is taking the puck up the boards when Ryan Kesler gets good defensive position on him and throws a body check. Although contact is with the chest, Kesler leaves his feet and launches himself at Comeau. This is charging as defined by rule 42.1. The degree in which Kesler's skates come off the ice is evidence of the dangerous launch.

Those words are right out of Shanahan's mouth as to why the Fistric hit is illegal and they clearly apply to the Kesler hit as well. Personally, I think both are within the bounds of what is currently allowed by the league, and the only material difference is the Niederreitter hit his head on the ice while Comeau did not. Since charging is a penalty of illegal action, not result, Kesler is just as guilty as Fistric given the parameters Shanahan laid out for charging.

The second hit happened Tuesday as Dion Phaneuf of the Toronto Maples Leafs took out Michael Sauer of the New York Rangers.

Here's the league's official reaction.

Phaneuf-ed! #Leafs Captain's huge hit in last night's 4-2 win over #NYR. http://bit.ly/ulvQvcc #NHL

Now, Phaneuf did not get nearly as much elevation, but careful examination of the video shows he was already launching himself at the moment of impact with one skate already off the ice and the other heading that way. Again, according to the Shanahan explanation, that is charging and suspendable charging at that.

Personally, I think all three hits are basically fine, just like I thought Jack Johnson on Mike Ribeiro was fine. And Shanahan thought three of them were fine but not the fourth when the only material difference was the injury. That type of rationale might fly for boarding, but it's bullhonky for charging, which is all about how the check was delivered.

Make up your mind, NHL league office. Can players leave their feet or not, and what, exactly is the measurement that makes it too high?

After the jump, Mike Heika is also confused, we spin the injury roulette wheel and what does one do with a found Stanley Cup ring? Put it on Craigslist, of course.