We’re seeing double this week with two reviews… and two pucks on the ice. Plus, Todd and Josh are joined by Tyler Nimmons, director and executive producer of ECHL Unfiltered.

 

 

The Colorado Avalanche had a goal taken away for offside, only to have it reinstated a moment later after a protest from the Avs’ bench delayed the faceoff long enough for the Situation Room to go back and check out a key detail that they missed under Rule 83.1. New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy had his own complaints about coach’s challenges after his club lost a challenge for offside against the Penguins when the Situation Room ruled that Pittsburgh’s Noel Acciari was off the ice for a line change prior to the puck being touched in the attacking zone. We’ll break down the rule and why it was the right call.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild had two teams on the ice, two refs on the ice, two linesmen on the ice – and two pucks. How did this happen, and has it happened before? Which puck is legal?

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck disputed a non-call – and failed challenge – for goaltender interference against the Tampa Bay Lightning after Conor Geekie’s stick ended up under Hellebuyck’s pad. The NHL called the contact legal based on Rule 69.7, but did they get it right?

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has had a busy week, with a two-game suspension to the Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Stienburg and $5000 fines to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway. Nothing for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Noel Acciari for his dangerous reverse hit on Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens, though.

Also this week, linesman Kilian McNamara becomes collateral damage on a hit at Kings/Preds, and we review the upcoming suspension for Tyler Jeannot for his clearly illegal headshot on Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.

Finally, we chat with Tyler Nimmons about ECHL Unfiltered, airing on the NHL Network and FloHockey.tv. The series goes behind the scenes with the Idaho Steelheads, including a look at the raw reality of players, coaches, and communities that make up this dynamic league – as well as a behind-the-scenes look at their interactions with fans and officials… All on this week’s #RefsPodcast! @scoutingtherefs

Listen to the #RefsPodcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or right here:   

 

 

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Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube. Email us your questions – heyref@scoutingtherefs.com   #RefsPodcast

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the Ref Line and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!

 

 

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We’ll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was – or wasn’t – handed out. 

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs. 

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.