You can’t score off the ref.
Typically, officials are in play. Action continues when a puck deflects off an official. The only exception is when the puck enters the net.
Carolina’s Calvin de Haan had a goal waved off against the Boston Bruins after the puck deflected off referee Francois St. Laurent and entered the net.
“No goal on the play,” announced the referee. “The puck went off the official and into the net.”
From Rule 78.5, Disallowed Goals:
Apparent goals shall be disallowed by the Referee and the appropriate announcement made by the Public
Address Announcer for the following reasons:(iii) When the puck has deflected directly into the net off an official.
The play is also eligible for video review to confirm whether the puck did, in fact, deflect into the net directly off the referee or linesman. From Rule 38.4:
The following situations are subject to review by the Video Goal Judge:
(vi) Puck deflected directly into the net off an Official.
Rule 85.4 covers all the situations where a puck may hit an official.
Play shall not be stopped if the puck touches an official anywhere on the rink, regardless of whether a team is shorthanded or not.
A puck that deflects back into the defending zone off an official who is in the neutral zone, will be deemed to be off-side as per Rule 83 – Off-side.
The puck striking or deflecting off an official does not automatically nullify a potential icing.
When a puck deflects off an official and goes out of play, the ensuing face-off will take place at the face-off spot in the zone nearest to where the puck deflected off the official.
If a goal is scored as a result of being deflected directly into the net off an official, the goal shall not be allowed.
Had someone else played the puck after it hit the official, play would continue.
Since it went directly into the net, it’s no goal.
UPDATE: We reached out to the league for clarification as to whether the puck was considered to be “directly” deflected, since the defending player did not intentionally direct the puck, nor gain control or possession before it entered the net.
Officially, it’s a moot point. Play was deemed to be stopped before the puck entered the net.
The referees deemed the play to be dead when they blew the whistle before the puck entered the net.
The Referee’s decision was made in accordance of Rule 31.2 which states, in part, that “the Referee may deem the play to be stopped slightly prior to the whistle actually being blown. The fact that the puck may come loose or cross the goal line prior to the sound of the whistle has no bearing if the Referee has ruled that the play had been stopped prior to this happening.”
This was not a reviewable play.
