There's no question that this is a wicked junior hockey attack by Oshawa Generals captain (!) James Delory on Kingston Frontenacs center and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nathan Moon. But context is key when it comes to controversial incidents on the ice, and there's no question that Moon instigates the incident at the 57-second mark with a slash on Delory. That said, the punishment didn't exactly fit the crime:

Here's how Faceoff Factor, which hosted the video, saw it:

During a hard fought battle against the Oshawa Generals, Moon was the recipient of a hard slash and cheap shot by Oshawa captain James Delory. Moon slashed Delory, who returned with a vicious shot to the leg and a blow to the head of a vulnerable Nathan Moon.

This year especially, Nathan Moon has been much more active with his stick behind the play. He's been jarring with players and showing a lot of fire, fire that is often times given the form of a slash or poke to agitate an opponent. That being said, what happened to Moon in this scenario is beyond uncalled for. Delory has a history of finding his way onto the suspension sheet and is facing a long sit for this incident.

Neither of these guys is a saint: As Faceoff Factor said, Moon's a chippy player and Delory's been called "the Panthers' potential future tough-guy."

Moon would return to last Friday's game against the Generals; Delory, a Florida Panthers prospect, was given a match major for slashing and a major for fighting, putting him in line for league disciplinary action. He also gets 40 lashes with a wet noodle for celebrating after the fight, which really isn't a Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger level of captaincy.

But doesn't this whole thing trace back to Moon acting like a petulant child after a clean hit, slashing a player who didn't hit him to spark an admittedly overboard (like a lost episode of "Marc Crawford's Bertuzzi Babies") bit of retribution?

With all this talk about what to do about fighting, here's a thought: punish the actual instigator once in a while, no matter how politically incorrect it'll look as he limps to the bench in agony.

H/T to our boys at The Pensblog.

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