Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment was frustrated after he was tripped up with no call. He avoided a penalty of his own despite slashing ref Graham Skilliter in the shins.

Marchment was tripped in the neutral zone after a collision with Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. He looked to Skilliter for a call. As the play advanced into the Winnipeg zone, Marchment slashed Skilliter across the shins with his stick.

No penalty was called on the play. 

 

 

The NHL rule book requires a game misconduct in this play. Here’s Rule 40.1:

Any player who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official, in any manner attempts to injure an official, physically demeans, or deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall receive a game misconduct penalty. 

Furthermore, when the abuse of officials penalty is called during the game, an automatic suspension is applied:

40.3 Automatic Suspension – Category II – Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner, which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games.

In this case, referee Graham Skilliter opted not to call any penalty at all.  Not even a 10-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — like the one Connor Bedard picked up earlier this season for a few choice words.

This one was all up to Skillsy. 

“League has discussed incident at end of second period between Mason Marchment and referee Graham Skilliter,” tweeted Elliotte Friedman. “It is on-ice officials’ call to decide if that qualifies as an Abuse of Officials violation. The answer was no…so no further action.”

With no call on the ice, there’s no automatic suspension.  Of course, that doesn’t mean the league can’t choose to issue one anyway.  

The league gave Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman a three-game suspension for throwing a stick in the direction of the officials, despite avoiding an abuse of officials penalty in the game.

Marchment got away with this one scot free.  He reportedly apologized to the official prior to the start of the third period.

While it was nice for Skilliter to cut Marchment a break, it sets a terrible precedent for future encounters with officials.