Goaltender interference controversies have become commonplace in the NHL these days, with new cases sprouting up almost every night.
It was a popular topic within the hockey community at last weekend’s all-star festivities, and as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman explained, there will certainly be more discussions about the ongoing issue.
“Last week at the all-star weekend, they had a meeting and the key word there was ‘egregious’ — let’s go back to ‘only egregious violations do not count as goals,’” Friedman explained during Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
“One of the complaints is that when the referees and the situation room talk, nobody knows what is discussed on those calls,” Friedman continued. “There was a GM yesterday who sent a note to all his compatriots in the league and said, ‘Look, is it possible that when someone gets suspended on supplemental discipline, there is a video. Could we get — internally, not publicly — a video of the play sent to all of us, and some notes on what was on the conversation so we have a greater understanding of why some of these decisions are made?’ And I think they’re going to do that.”
As it stands, there’s little explanation of reviewed goals, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to know what, exactly, is and is not allowed. That raises an important question about the role replays have in the game.
“I don’t believe the league is ready to blow up replay yet, but I do think among the general managers, that they feel this is a judgement call and more of them are thinking that replay for goaltender interference should be taken out,” Friedman said.
Players are clearly getting fed up. Earlier in the week, several members of the Winnipeg Jets spoke out against officials’ decision to allow a goal despite goalie Connor Hellebuyck being slashed in the mask, and we’ve also had some of the NHL’s biggest stars make subtle jabs at the referees following unpredictable calls.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston chimed in on the topic, and how talks are different this time around.
“One of the reasons that I see this as something that could be taken out? Everything’s unusual,” Johnston said of the latest discussions. “That meeting of 18 people at the all-star game, that doesn’t normally happen. Gary Bettman, when he spoke to reporters at the all-star game, said ‘Yes there’s a bit of confusion.’ Gary is usually wont to not admit that things are going wrong.”
As Johnston pointed out, there is precedent for the league to walk back certain review processes if they are found to stir up more questions than answers.
“I do sense that internally, this is such a serious issue that potentially — and it’s not necessarily the next step, but two down the road — they might look at this like they did at the toe-in-the-crease rule many years ago after the Brett Hull goal, and take it right out,” Johnston said. “I do think that this could head that far.”
Johnston is referring to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final controversy in which Hull scored the triple-overtime winner to claim the Cup in Game 6 while his foot was in the crease. Mass confusion about the rule, and a reported league memo to clarify it, eventually led to the crease rule being eliminated.
Clearly, this is a conversation we’ll be having much more of as the season goes on.
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