In a stunning turn of events, Derek Forbort's season is officially over following a brutal broken orbital bone, yet the player who caused the injury, Yakov Trenin of the Minnesota Wild, is facing no additional punishment.

On Saturday, Trenin crossed the line with a late punch aimed at Forbort, igniting outrage among teammates and fans alike. This act has been condemned as one of the dirtiest seen in recent hockey history by Canucks defenseman Marcus Pettersson, and echoed by head coach Rick Tocchet.

The conflict escalated shortly into the third period after Trenin had already delivered a late hit to star player Quinn Hughes. Forbort stepped up to defend his captain, leading to a fight between the two players. After they exchanged some punches and fell to the ice, Trenin inexplicably got back up and landed another punch on a defenseless Forbort.

While it's clear that Trenin's actions go against both the NHL's unwritten 'code' of respect and the explicit fighting rules, he has managed to evade further sanctions from the league. According to NHL Rule 46.2, a player who continues to throw punches at a defenseless opponent becomes the 'aggressor' and is subject to severe penalties.

Under normal circumstances, Trenin should have received a serious disciplinary action, including a major penalty for fighting, a game misconduct, and potentially more. However, referees only issued him a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Despite the blatant violation, the NHL's rulebook appears to protect him from harsher consequences since he hasn't been deemed an aggressor multiple times this season.

The flawed system leaves fans and players dumbfounded. The rule regarding aggressor penalties states that subsequent aggressor offenses lead to suspensions, but this doesn't apply to individual incidents.

As a result, Trenin walks away unscathed from a blatant attempt to injure, and Forbort faces a grim recovery period. Many are questioning how the NHL could let such a dangerous act go unpunished, calling into question the integrity of the league's disciplinary framework.

It seems clear the NHL needs to address the gaps in its rules to prevent similar situations from arising in the future. The stakes are too high for players' safety and the reputation of the sport.