Taylor Fedun Injury Video and Discussion

Looking at the rules on the books, and the video, it just does not seem to be something worthy of suspension. Many will see it differently, and call me a homer.

After the jump, the justification for my thinking, and the video.

First, the video:

The icing rule, 81.1 in the NHL rule book reads as follows:

Boarding, the call on the ice, is rule 41.1, which reads:

Looking at the video, I see two players going hard after an iced puck, and Fedun getting tangled up with Nystrom's stick (which in in position to play the puck).Nystrom looks to make a completely legal play, according to the rule book, and the on ice officials made a bad call based on the result of the play. Far be it from me to say they shouldn't have made the call. I likely would have, too. But the way the boarding call reads, that was not the right call.

As much as I think if a suspension would help, everyone would be all for it, this isn't a matter of unsafe play. It is a matter of an absolutely horrible rule being on the books, and the powers that be being completely unwilling to use basic reason to protect the players.

Some say it is a contact sport, that few players get hurt this way. Two players now, in recent memory, have had shattered femurs (one of the strongest bones in the body) as a result of this rule.

I don't like it. Change the rule. For now, Eric Nystrom did nothing wrong. A suspension may make people feel better, but it doesn't make much sense.

All the best to Taylor Fedun. Everyone here hopes he has a speedy recovery and is back on the ice as soon as possible.