Jump to content

NY Islanders 25-26

Rate this topic


brushfly

Recommended Posts

Islanders & Barzal Sent a $5,000 Message to the Rest of the NHL

December 30, 2025 by THW Staff

In the modern NHL, the concept of “The Code” is often debated, dissected, and occasionally dismissed as a relic of a bygone era. We talk about instigator penalties, the decline of the enforcer, and the sanitization of the game. But every so often, a sequence unfolds that reminds us that the locker room operates on a different frequency than the rulebook.

Sunday’s incident involving New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal and Columbus Blue Jackets agitator Mason Marchment was one of those moments.

On Monday, the Department of Player Safety (DoPS) announced that Barzal has been fined $5,000 — the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement — for slashing Marchment. For the average fan, a $5,000 check written to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund might seem like a slap on the wrist. For the Islanders, however, that money wasn’t a penalty; it was an insurance premium.

Defending the Franchise

To understand why the Islanders are seemingly content with their star playmaker losing a chunk of change, you have to look at the catalyst. This wasn’t a random act of violence during a scrum. It was a direct, calculated response to a perceived threat against the future of the franchise.

During the second period on Sunday, Marchment delivered a knee-on-knee trip to Matthew Schaefer. For those living under a rock, Schaefer isn’t just another rookie; he is the 2025 number-one overall pick, the prize defenseman the Islanders are building their blue line around.

IMOP The last month or so teams have been targeting Schaefer with a border line strikes and possible injury body checks .. it was starting to get close and we already have one &  two season ending injury because of it . 

  If it has fins i want to catch it 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem whatsoever with what Barzy did. They need to put every team on notice - you target #48 & you’re gonna pay a heavy price. In the good old days, Marchment wouldn’t have got off so easily - guys like Nystrom, Gilles, etc would’ve taken his head off. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 mins ago, vinnyb said:

No problem whatsoever with what Barzy did. They need to put every team on notice - you target #48 & you’re gonna pay a heavy price. In the good old days, Marchment wouldn’t have got off so easily - guys like Nystrom, Gilles, etc would’ve taken his head off. 

It seems this team is not that big as those years .. what I noticed that the NHL is turning like other professional sports .. coverage of TV and not protecting the career ending injuries from possibly happening ,, something like our current justice system .. many professional stars get protection from their league hope our guy does too . 

  If it has fins i want to catch it 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...