Will Minnesota's Charlie Coyle face discipline for hit to head?

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Late in the second period of Minnesota's 2-1 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, Charlie Coyle was given a five-minute major for elbowing Calgary's Matt Stajan in the head.

As the replay shows, it wasn't really an elbow at all, but it may have been a violation of rule 48 and an illegal hit to the head.

Here's the play.

As rule 48.1 states, "A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered."

Again, the elbow isn't what really gets Stajan, but it looks pretty clear that Coyle does make direct contact with the head. And it even seemed to be a little late. It's a good bet that the NHL and Brendan Shanahan are going to be taking a long look at it on Wednesday.

Stajan ended up returning to the game for the third period and overtime.

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