Goalies can play with a player’s stick, but the opposite isn’t true. Even the former may not always be legal.
New York Rangers’ Jonathan Quick vs. Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky
New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick got away with one when he grabbed Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky’s stick from within the goal crease. With Slafkovsky battling Blueshirts defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, Quick lost his goal stick. In desperation, he grabbed the closes available twig to continue defending his net. It didn’t help much; Slafkovsky’s stick was upside down.
No harm. No foul. No call.
Three days later, another goalie stick switcheroo had a much different outcome.
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews
Merzlikins got tangled up with Toronto’s Auston Matthews as he cut through the goal crease. The netminder grabbed a hold of Matthews’ stick, dropping his own in the process. The Leafs captain looked around, then picked up the goalie’s stick and skated to the slot. He dropped the stick, but it was too late. The whistle had sounded.
Merzlikins and Matthews were both given minor penalties on the play, Merzlikins for holding the stick and Matthews for an illegal stick. Both are covered under Rule 10.3:
A player who has lost or broken his stick may receive a replacement stick by having one handed to him from his own players’ bench, by having one handed to him by a teammate on the ice or by picking up his own unbroken stick or that of a teammate from the ice.
A player will be penalized if he throws or shoots a stick to a teammate on the ice, or if he picks up and plays with an opponent’s stick.
A player may not participate in the play using a goalkeeper’s stick.
A minor penalty shall be imposed for an infraction of this rule.
Keep your sticks to yourselves out there.
