Mark Fistric clobbers Eric Nystrom with his own helmet

by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 8:53 AM CST in News Comment 23 comments

In one of the cheapest of cheapshots, the Dallas Stars' Mark Fistric received a match penalty for hitting the Calgary Flames' Eric Nystrom in the head with Nystrom's own helmet in a fight last night.

Sure, you can say that it was done unintentionally, but that would be ridiculously untrue. He grasped the strap and swung it at Nystrom's head. Frankly, at that point the referees screwed up by not jumping in immediately.

The best thing that happened here was that Fistric received a match penalty, so Colin Campbell and his Wheel of Justice cannot possibly let him off the hook, then again Fistric isn't a superstar anyway, so it doesn't matter much.

So Wilderness, for how long will Fistric be suspended?

EDIT: OF COURSE NOT!! A moron named Colin Campbell, in his infinite wisdom, determined a fine would be good enough. What a fuck head. Check it out on Defending Big D

Poll

For how long should Fistric be suspended?

No suspension

27 votes

1 game

13 votes

2 games

21 votes

3+ games

29 votes

90 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I'm sure .....

Mr. Campbell will just say that he got caught up in the emotion of the game and that there needs to be passion, which is why I voted for 0. What an idiot though, is he that much of a pansy he has to use a weapon in a fight? On the video it doesn’t look like it hurt him much which also makes me think he won’t be suspended.

by Chris Winner on Jan 28, 2010 8:46 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

No, no, you see he’s not a star like Gonchar so he doesn’t have passion for the game.

Still, hitting a guy with a helmet is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. It’s a hit to the head, it’s (as you mention) using a weapon in a fight, it’s a good way to give a guy a big ol’ concussion.

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by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jan 28, 2010 10:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll check the magic 8 ball and see what it says

by Chris Winner on Jan 28, 2010 10:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have to check the flow chart first.

by TylerDurdenUMD on Jan 28, 2010 9:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

They will use him as an example instead of

actually punishing a star player for cheap crap. Just so Campbell can say we take this stuff seriously. It’s so cliche I almost feel like crying.

by TheEvilProfessor on Jan 28, 2010 10:44 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

He has to be suspended. Has to be. I don’t care if this was Wayne Gretzky or Gahndi. Super star, perfect history of non-violence… hitting someone with a helmet cannot be acceptable.

Of course, that would be logic, and that doesn’t apply here.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Jan 28, 2010 11:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't disagree that Fistric has to be suspended

All he had to do once he got the helmet off Nystrom’s head was discard it. Obviously, he didn’t and that’s why he got the penalty he did.

But I think those of you who are calling for a suspension of three games or more are engaging in a wee bit of hyperbole, no? It’s not Fistric is a dirty player. Careless and stupid decision? Sure, but not dirty.

The case would be more clear if it was Steve Ott doing it.

The side issue here is that, once again, we’ve got a case where one player hits another player hard with a legal check. Nystrom gets butt hurt over the hit and decides he needs to engage in a fight with Fistric.

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by Brandon Bibb on Jan 28, 2010 12:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yes I don’t understand why Nystrom went after him in the first place. It seems too common now to see a hockey player taking a clean hit and turning into a big baby and going after the guy. Do they realize that checking is allowed in hockey?

by Chris Winner on Jan 28, 2010 12:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed on the over reaction

I’m sick of players in the NHL getting all pissy over a good, clean hit. It’s pathetic. Nystrom should have gotten an instigator.

That said, Fistric needs something in addition to the 1 he automatically gets for the Match penalty. If you use equipment in a fight, there needs to be a set penalty.

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 12:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Where is the post on the dangers of skating around with a broken stick?

And doing so while still engaging in the play no less..

Far more dangerous than what Fistric did.

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by Art_M on Jan 28, 2010 1:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

WHAT?

He hit him in the head with a helmet. You’ve lost your mind Art.

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

Ok fine he hit him with a helmet..

I’m not saying that it’s bad or not punishable.. But he got his punishment last night and the league felt – rightfully so I may add – that missing the majority of last night’s game was enough for someone with no history of overly violent acts such as Mark has.

But if you’re going to feature outragoues breaking of rules, then Rene Bourque skating around with a sawed off hockey stick and then engaging into a play on the other side of the ice with that broken stick warrants a post as well does it not?

And maybe I have lost my mind – some would argue I never had one to begin with mind you – but I’d rather be hit over the head with my helmet in a fight than possibly speared by a broken stick.

by Art_M on Jan 28, 2010 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Art the problem is most of didn’t watch the game, so we didn’t see what your talking about. I could see your frustration with that though.

by Chris Winner on Jan 28, 2010 2:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Did he hit someone with the stick? Did he actually spear someone with it? No? Then what’s the point in bringing it up?

There is a penalty for playing the puck with a broken stick. If he had done something worse than playing the puck with it (did he even do that?), we would be livid about it, trust me. However, I am not going to get upset about what some could have done, when there is plenty to talk about where players actually, you know, hit a guy in the head with a helmet.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Jan 28, 2010 2:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Did Bourque hit anyone?

There is a penalty for playing with a broken stick. Was it called? If he enters the play and hits someone in it, then yeah, there should be some checking into it.

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 2:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Indeed. No fight was necessary here.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Jan 28, 2010 2:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Campbell: "You see, Nystrom – he leads, or is close to leading, his team in hits (?). Fistric took a solid hit – it could have been legal, could have been not-illegal – so Fistric took exception to that, and in the emotion of the fight may have hooked his thumb on the chin strap while swinging.

“We felt the match penalty was the penalty. We don’t feel [based on] past history that Firstric deserved to be suspended.”

by gunslinger1 on Jan 28, 2010 12:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Damn… I messed up who-hit-who :)

by gunslinger1 on Jan 28, 2010 12:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It’s alright. Still proves the point.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Jan 28, 2010 2:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Pathetic

Colin Campbell’s Wheel of Justice decided Mark Fistric doesn’t deserve to be suspended for hitting Eric Nystrom with his own helmet. Idiot.

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by nathaneide on Jan 28, 2010 1:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I was incorrect on the auto suspension

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 1:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Check out the Rene Bourque broken stick penalty

http://www.defendingbigd.com/2010/1/28/1274336/mark-fistric-fined-will-not-be#comments

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

Wow

I hope he got a penalty for that. WTF was he thinking. I can’t believe that didn’t get more media attention. That definitely is something I would expect a suspension for, even from Colin the Clown.

by Chris Winner on Jan 28, 2010 4:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs