By Allan Muir

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk told Dallas Morning News beat writer Mike Heika this afternoon that the NHL is not considering supplemental discipline for Martin Hanzal after the Phoenix forward’s blindside hit knocked Jamie Benn out of Saturday’s game.

That’s not necessarily a surprise — we likely would have heard yesterday if a hearing was on tap — but this is the first confirmation that Hanzal is off the hook.

Dallas fans won’t be happy, especially since there was no penalty during the game, either, but honestly this could have gone either way. Hanzal has a record with the Department of Player Safety and Benn had to leave the game, but the Stars center also spent a little too much time admiring his own shot and opened himself up to get plastered.

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By Allan Muir

It’s been three days since Brendan Shanahan watched video of repeat offender Patrick Kaleta shoving Brad Richards face-first into the boards and decided that this wasn’t the right time to send a message about reckless hits from behind.

Shanny didn’t just shanked the call. He missed the point entirely. That Richards wasn’t seriously injured — although he did miss Tuesday’s game with the Flyers — means nothing. What matters is that he easily could have been because of Kaleta’s stupidity.

If he didn’t understand that before, maybe he will now.

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At age 35, Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames is still a model power forward. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

Here’s the thing about listing the greatest power forwards in NHL history: the concept of what exactly constitutes a power forward is about as loose as the definition of comedy.

So how best to explain where this list is coming from? While I generally avoid Wikipedia like a dark alley after a bank run, I actually like the parameters they set on the term:

“A forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals and would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties. It is usually used in reference to a forward who is physically large, with the toughness to dig the puck out of the corners, possesses offensive instincts…and willingly engages in fights when required.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s close to what I’m thinking. That’s why you won’t see Mark Messier on this list — he’s more of a powerful forward than a power forward by my definition. Same with Gordie Howe.

I like my power forwards to bring a bit more menace to the table. That’s a quality inherent in each of these picks. Disagree? Make your case in the comment section below.

Click here to view the list.

Repeat offender Patrick Kaleta was lucky to get off so lightly for this hit on Brad Richards. (Bruce Benett/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

It’s clear that Brendan Shanahan hit Patrick Kaleta a lot harder than the Buffalo winger hit Brad Richards.

So why does the five-game suspension that Shanahan imposed on Monday afternoon feel like a slap on the wrist?

Not that anyone should be surprised by this verdict, especially in the wake of last week’s soft touch fine handed down to Dallas’ Jamie Benn. Shanny telegraphed this decision when he offered Kaleta a phone hearing, a format that ensured the sentence couldn’t be more than five games. That’s a significant number because a provision in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows a player to appeal any suspension above that level to an independent arbitrator.

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The verdict is in on Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn after his vicious cheap shot on Edmonton forward Ryan Jones on Thursday night.

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By Allan Muir

The two-game suspension handed to San Jose winger Ryane Clowe won’t make everyone happy, but go ahead and chalk this one up for NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. It looks like he made another fair call.

HACKEL: Shanahan should explain no-ban calls, too

Clowe was called on the carpet after engaging Andrew Shaw late in last Friday’s game against the Blackhawks. Clowe took exception to a hard hit Shaw laid on San Jose’s Joe Pavelski and hopped over the boards to discourage him from taking future liberties.

There was pushing and shoving, but no punches were thrown, earning him a roughing minor. But Clowe also picked up a game misconduct for leaving the bench, resulting in an indefinite suspension from the league pending a hearing.

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By Allan Muir

Sheriff Shanny laid down the law Friday afternoon, suspending Edmonton’s Taylor Hall two games for a kneeing incident in last night’s game against Minnesota.

Hall was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for his late-third period hit on Cal Clutterbuck, but NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan determined that supplementary discipline was called for.

Shanahan made note that the play happened quickly but added that Hall was in control of himself and the hit, and that Clutterbuck did not act evasively in a way that contributed to the collision.

He also noted Clutterbuck was not in possession of the puck at any time during the sequence, so he had no reason to think that a hit was coming.

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John Erskine has always played the game close to the edge, but on Friday night the big, physical defender stepped over the line.

As a result, Erskine will miss the Washington Capitals next three games for his blatant elbow to the head of Philadelphia forward Wayne Simmonds.

In making his ruling Saturday night, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan noted that there was “no malicious intent” and Erskine was just reacting to being beaten at the offensive blueline, but “this was a reckless elbow to the head that caused a serious injury.”

Simmonds didn’t return after the hit in Washington’s 3-2 victory, and was initially said to be suffering from a mild case of whiplash. He’s not skating tonight in Philly’s game against Carolina and there’s no timetable for his return. (UPDATE: Flyers confirm Simmonds suffered a concussion on the play.)

Shanahan noted that Erskine had no previous suspension history — a factor that always plays into his decisions — but you have to wonder if that weighed a little too heavily into this ruling, especially with Simmonds’ status still up in the air. Three games (and the loss of more than $24,000 in pay) will probably get the point across. But considering how dangerous the play was, there was room for this suspension to keep Erskine off the ice for as many as five games and make a stronger statement to the rest of the league. Quick reaction play or not, this was a pretty vicious hit. The next guy who tries this shouldn’t get off so lightly.

By Allan Muir

Give Brendan Shanahan credit. The league’s chief disciplinarian is two-for-two on the season.

Islanders’ forward Colin McDonald became the second player suspended this season by Shanahan after a vicious hit Tuesday night on Pittsburgh’s Ben Lovejoy. Shanny got the call right.

By sitting him for two games (and costing him $7,567.56 in lost salary), Shanahan noted that McDonald was pursuing the puck into the corner but had his eyes on Lovejoy’s back before “recklessly driving the Pittsburgh defender into the boards with great force.”

McDonald was assessed a boarding major on the play, but this was the sort of black-and-white incident that cried out for supplemental discipline. Lovejoy had his back turned the entire way and McDonald had plenty of time to bail out on making contact. Add that he hit the defender about three feet from the boards — the point at which a player has no time or space to protect himself — and McDonald is lucky that his sentence wasn’t longer. That Lovejoy suffered a bloody nose but no serious injury probably saved McDonald from a stiffer penalty.

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By Allan Muir

No one should have been surprised to learn that Brayden Schenn got a call from the NHL after his leaping hit leveled New Jersey defender Anton Volchenkov on Tuesday night. Dirty? Maybe not. Dangerous? Yeah, for sure.

The consensus opinion of puck pundits held that a fine was likely, but league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan took it a step further this afternoon, suspending the Philadelphia winger for a game. He’ll miss Thursday’s home game against the New York Rangers.

It seems like a reasonable call. As Shanahan notes, Volchenkov wasn’t hurt on the play and Schenn has no history of suspensions. But the league takes a dim view of any player who launches himself off the ice before making contact, so a message needed to be sent.

What remains to be seen is whether this will be a precedent-setting suspension for similar hits this season (heads up, Niklas Kronwall). Consistency would go a long way to making sure the message gets across.