NHL continues to make up the rules as they go, erase mandatory suspension

The NHL has a history of deciding when to enforce a rule and when not to. A perfect example was last year in the playoffs Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse received a mandatory one game suspension for receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes. The league decides to uphold this suspension despite the Oilers appeal.

Last night Brady Tkachuk instigated a fight in the final 5 minutes against Alex Tuch. With that penalty comes the automatic one game suspension and a $10,000 fine for DJ Smith. The rule is clearly defined by rule 46.21:


After the game reports surfaced that Tkachuk and Smith both intended to appeal their punishments. While many expected this to be upheld it now appears the NHL has decided to once again make exceptions to their own rules.




This continues to show the NHL picks and chooses when to enforce the rules. While neither Nurse or Tkachuk should have faced suspension, the inconsistency continues to highlight the NHL model.