A major penalty for cross-checking to Ottawa Senators’ Ridly Greig was reduced to a minor penalty after review by the on-ice officials.
With the play deep in the Ottawa zone, Toronto’s John Tavares moved in to deliver a body check on Greig. The Senators’ center raised his stick and delivered a high cross-check that appeared to catch Tavares in the collarbone.
Referees Garrett Rank and Brian Pochmara called a major penalty for cross-checking, then reviewed the play. After a second look, the duo opted to drop the disciplinary action from five minutes to two, under Rule 20.6:
Referees shall review all plays that result in the assessment of any Major Penalty for the purpose of confirming (or modifying) their original call on the ice.
The Referee shall have the following options after video review of his own call: (i) confirming his original Major Penalty call; (ii) reducing his original Major Penalty call to a lesser penalty; or (iii) rescinding the original Major Penalty altogether.
The final ruling on a peanlty review is made by the on-ice officials, not the Situation Room. In this case, they felt two minutes was enough.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety reportedly agreed, with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reporting that Greig is not expected to face supplemental discipline as a result of the hit.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube felt otherwise.
“That is not my call. It’s not my call,” Berube said after the game. “The referees and the league will look at things and make the calls we make. We are not going to focus on that. We are going to focus on what we need to do for the next game.”
Berube added one final thought as he walked away from the podium: “Call the league!”
It looks like the league might’ve just let that go to voicemail.
Consider it one more missed call.
