The hit was brutal.

In a Swiss Nationalliga B playoff game in early March, Langenthal player Stefan Schnyder checked Olten defenseman Ronny Keller into the end boards. Keller’s head and neck crashed into them at a high velocity. He was motionless on the ice before being stretchered off. Later, doctors said Keller would be a “permanent paraplegic” as a result of the hit:

One can’t even process the firestorm that would engulf the National Hockey League if one of its players was paralyzed as a result of a hit.

Well, imagine then if the player who delivered the hit escaped with no reprimand from the league. Schnyder found out on Monday that there will be no discipline handed out for the check that made Keller paraplegic.

No. 1 Star: Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild

As he often does, Parise led the way for the Minnesota Wild, contributing 2 goals and an assist in their 7-4 win over the Dallas Stars. His first goal was a great effort, as he batted the puck out of mid-air:

The win, Minnesota's sixth in a row, put them back on top of the Northwest division.

No. 2 Star: Michael Frolik, Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks wasted a three-point night from Frolik, who had 2 goals and an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

Who doesn’t like a fan giveaway while attending an NHL game? You know, a keepsake to remember your amazing (and pricey!) experience: Hats, bobblehead dolls, magnetic calendars, a used earpiece tossed into your lap by an NHL assistant coach.

Wait, whaaaaat?

Witness Boston Bruins assistant coach Geoff Ward taking out his earpiece and tossing over his shoulder, as it lands in what appears to be a Boston Bruins fan’s beer during their 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night:

Should have been you, Bob Beers …

Considering the Tampa Bay Lightning just fired a coach they hired as an AHL coaching rock star, it’s interesting that all signs point to Syracuse Crunch head coach Jon Cooper taking over for Guy Boucher.

But Cooper’s a different kind of coach. He’s not gimmicky, and he’s familiar with a good number of players on this roster – essential for selling a novice to the veterans that just ousted Boucher.

Via Lightning Strikes:

The Tampa Bay Lightning is on the verge of hiring Jon Cooper as its new coach. The deal is not finalized, so it is not official, but an announcement is expected either tonight or Tuesday.

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman would not confirm the hire, but said, "We're working through the process as quickly as possible and will be ready to announce our new head coach at the earliest time I can. The Tampa Bay Lightning is not saying anything right now."

Cooper has the goods.

Getty ImagesOn July 26, 2012, the Carolina Hurricanes took a gamble on Alex Semin, a supremely talented but frequently frustrating free-agent winger jettisoned by the Washington Capitals.

Signing a 1-year, $7-million deal, Semin thought Carolina was “a great fit.” GM Jim Rutherford said: “We hope that a fresh start in Carolina will serve both Alexander and our team well.”

The fit has been better than anyone could have hoped: He leads the Hurricanes in assists (22), and ranks second in points (30) and plus/minus rating (+18) in 30 games this season, helping solidify the Hurricanes’ top line with Jiri Tlusty and Eric Staal.

The fit was so good that Rutherford decided to extend Semin’s stay in Raleigh another five seasons.

Alexander Semin went unsigned late into last summer before Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford decided to take the skilled forward for a test drive, signing him for one year at $7 million.

Clearly, Rutherford and the Canes have enjoyed the ride so far, because the Hurricanes just re-upped for another half-decade of Semin at the same price. On Monday, the club announced a five-year deal with Semin worth $35 million. The cap hit remains the same. From the team's release:

“We’re very happy to retain Alex,” said Rutherford. “Alex is an elite player and has been a major contributor to the Hurricanes having a very strong top line.”

Semin, 29, is in his eighth NHL season and his first with Carolina, after signing as a free agent on July 26, 2012. The Krasnoyarsk, Russia, native leads the Hurricanes in assists (22), and ranks second in points (30) and plus/minus rating (+18) in 30 games this season. Semin (6’2”, 209 lbs.) is tied for 11th among all NHL skaters in assists this season, and tied for 10th in plus/minus rating. He ranks first among Hurricanes forwards in time on ice per game (20:39) and has spent the majority of the season skating alongside Hurricanes captain Eric Staal.

I'd say that he's has come as advertised for Carolina, but really, he hasn't. Only at the high end.

[Also: Penguins paid dearly for run-down version of Brenden Morrow – and it's the right move]

Semin's been criticized for years for being a bipolar player. Even just recently, former teammate Troy Brouwer said it was never a certainty that Semin would show up on any given night. But Carolina has really only seen the good Semin, making a lot of the questions about his work ethic disappear. Maybe the other Semin is partly a myth?

These were the questions that, less than a year ago, scared Rutherford away from the exact deal he just gave out. “We would look at Semin on a short-term basis,” he said this summer. “We wouldn't want to get locked in to anything, because we've all heard the stories about him. We do like his skill level. It could be that we could bring him in for a year, get to know him and go from there in terms of considering something longer term.”

Having gotten to know him, it would appear the Hurricanes like Semin a lot. Now they just have to hope he remains the same player.

Jarome Iginla trade chatter got a big boost over the weekend when reports began to trickle out that Calgary Flames captain had given his club a list of teams for whom he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

However, much of the chatter was focused around trying to make sense of the conflicting reports.

Darren Dreger got the ball rolling Saturday, sharing a source's word that the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were on Iginla's list "with ongoing discussions".

Suffice it to say, this piqued everyone's interest, but it didn't gain much traction. After all, not only were there no surprises on the list, but the report was an open-ended enough to mean nothing.

It's not as though the report said those were the only clubs Iginla was willing to go to. Now that would be something.

But then, wouldn't you know it, a day after Dreger's report failed to gain much traction, we got another one from the reliable Ren Lavoie. According to the RDS correspondent, Iginla's list featured four teams exclusively: The Penguins, Bruins, Kings and Blackhawks.

Sure enough, this got people talking, even as Bob McKenzie marveled at the way people were eating up what was essentially the same report Dreger provided the day before.

A few other reports have since trickled in. Nick Kypreos followed up, corroborating the existence of a list and adding the Detroit Red Wings to the privileged teams. And on Monday morning, Elliotte Friedman weighed in, mentioning the Anaheim Ducks and -- brace yourself -- the Vancouver Canucks as two other teams he had heard might be able to win Iggy's heart.

[Also: Penguins paid dearly for run-down version of Brenden Morrow – and it's the right move]

Finally, when it was assumed that the Penguins' two recent moves took them out of the running, Ren Lavoie fired back, saying that wasn't the case. He added that the Red Wings weren't on the list, which remained remained exclusively the four teams he'd originally reported. Still with me?

Don't worry if you're having a hard time following this list. I'm beginning to suspect it's a fiction.

NHL.com has been running a series of video highlights given the NHL ’94 treatment, in honor of that classic hockey video game’s 20th anniversary. They’ve got the star under the player with the puck, the sound effects and that little referee signaling a goal. They’re rather inspired.

But the mad geniuses at Benstonium.com (check them on Facebook here) have upped the ante with the NHL ’94-ization of Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers highlights that play out like an actual game on Sega Genesis.

Not sure what we loved more in this clip: Mike Lange playing the Ron Barr role or that they managed to get that distinct blue tint on the ice or the most random Iceburgh cameos since “Sudden Death.”

By the way, for you NHL ’94 nostalgists: We have a special multi-part celebration of the game on Puck Daddy this week. Prepare thyself.