St. Louis Blues forward Robert Bortuzzo was called for closing his hand on the puck.
Bortuzzo dove to block a shot from Colorado Avalanche forward Brandon Saad. As he went down to the ice, he smothered the puck with his glove, preventing Saad from getting off a shot. The Blues winger then pushed the puck into the corner, drawing a whistle from the official.
Here’s the relevant rule:
Rule 67 – Handling Puck
A player shall be assessed a minor penalty for “closing his hand on the puck”:
(i) If he catches it and skates with it, either to avoid a check or to gain a territorial advantage over his opponent;
(ii) If he places his hand over the puck while it is on the ice in order to conceal it from or prevent an opponent from playing the puck;
Bortuzzo pleaded his case to referee Trevor Hanson, claiming it was his elbow and not his hand that covered the puck.
No luck. He was sent to the box and served his time.
Referees for the game were Hanson and Kyle Rehman. Linesmen were Vaughan Rody and Devin Berg.
