Report: Alex Burrows will not be suspended for instigating late fight with Kris Russell

Photo Credit: Sergei Belski/USA TODAYSports

An eye for an eye. Tit for tat. Rescinded instigator penalty for rescinded instigator penalty (although technically the league has decided not to rescind Alex Burrows’ instigator, they just won’t enforce his suspension).

Anyway it would appear that Vancouver Canucks forward Burrows will not be receiving a one-game suspension for instigating a fight with Calgary Flames defenseman Kris Russell late in Sunday night’s Game 3, despite his having clearly, y’know, instigated the fight. The news comes courtesy Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Let’s review the incident, shall we?

(Courtesy: Hockeyfights.com)

So what happened? It seems likely that while Burrows clearly instigated a fight with an unwilling player, he didn’t quite violate the spirit of the instigator rule. So while it’s impossible to argue that Burrows didn’t instigate a fight with Russell – based on a dictionary definition of the word “instigate” – it’s also pretty tough to argue that the fight was in retribution for something, or that it was about message sending. 

I’m guessing that the league’s reasoning here is that Burrows did instigate a late fight, but he did it without violating the spirit of the instigator rule.

It may be twisted logic, but hey, it’s the playoffs.