The Hand Pass review craze is sweeping the nation — or at least the National Hockey League.

We’ve had four hand pass reviews in the past seven days.  What’s going on?

Hand Pass History

The NHL added a Coach’s Challenge for missed stoppages in the attacking zone prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. This was hot on the heels of the San Jose Sharks’ overtime winner in Game 3 of the 2019 Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues, which cam after an apparent hand pass went undetected from the on-ice officials.  Even NHL SVP Colin Campbell admitted it was the wrong call, offering up that the league could start reviewing that “Day 1, next season.”  That’s exactly what they did.

Since then, there have been 105 missed stoppage reviews, making up just 4% of all Coach’s Challenges. Of those 105, just 34 were for an alleged hand pass.  Of all the reasons for a possible missed stoppage, hand passes rank second (32%), trailing only pucks played with a high stick (54%). 

As rare as they are, hand pass challenges have been somewhat successful. Fifteen of the 34 challenges have been overturned, resulting in a disallowed goal on 44% of the reviews. 

What is a Hand Pass?  

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff isn’t so sure.

“The glove pass, I don’t know where that came from,” said Ruff. “I don’t think anybody in the league knows any more where it comes from.”

According to NHL Rule 79: 

A player shall be permitted to stop or “bat” a puck in the air with his open hand, or push it along the ice with his hand, and the play shall not be stopped unless, in the opinion of the on-ice officials, he has directed the puck to a teammate, or has allowed his team to gain an advantage, and subsequently possession and control of the puck is obtained by a player of the offending team, either directly or deflected off any player or official.  … Play will not be stopped for any hand pass by players in their own defending zone. 

The NHL added a new portion of the rule prior to the start of the 2025-26 season:

If, in the opinion of the on-ice officials, the puck has deflected off a player’s hand, and no advantage has been gained by the team, it will not constitute a violation for the purpose of this rule.

Notice that nowhere in the rule does it say anything about intent.

The officials – and, on a challenge, the Situation Room – are looking for some specific criteria:

  • Did the puck contact the glove?
  • What the puck subsequently played by a teammate of the offending player?
  • Did the offending team gain an advantage, including advancing position or maintaining possession?
  • Did the deflection materially change the path of the puck?
  • Was the deflection intentional?  While intent is not part of the rule, that may be considered in making a determination on legality.
  • Would the situation have been different if it hit the player’s body instead of his hand?

Let’s take a look at some recent plays.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins – 12/4/25
Brandon Hagel

NHL Ruling: The Situation Room determined that Brandon Hagel directed the puck to Jake Guentzel with a hand pass at 1:08 of the third period (18:52 elapsed time) – 13 seconds prior to Nikita Kucherov’s goal at 0:55 (19:05 elapsed time). The decision was made in accordance with Rule 79.

With the puck fired around the glass, Hagel puts his hand up to protect himself.  The puck deflects off his glove and right to Jake Guentzel, who passes it to the point, eventually leading to a goal.  

  • The puck contacted the glove. 
  • It was subsequently played by Jake Guentzel.
  • Lightning maintained possession in the attacking zone. 
  • The puck’s trajectory was materially changed. 
  • Deflection was not intentional
  • Puck would have been similarly impacted if it hit Hagel’s body

In his post-game presser, Lightning coach Jon Cooper asked, “If I threw this microphone at you right now, would you put your hand up to stop it? Hell yeah you would.”  

We all would, but under the NHL rule, if it went right to a teammate, that’s a hand pass. 

The greatest counterargument on this play is, for me, would it have been any different if the puck deflected off his arm, shoulder, or back?  In any of those cases, the play would be legal and the goal would stand.  Given that this was unintentional – an act of self-preservation – there’s a case to be made to allow this one.

 

Florida Panthers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets – 12/6/25
Brad Marchand

NHL Ruling: The Situation Room supported the Referees’ call on the ice that the puck deflected off Brad Marchand’s glove prior to Carter Verhaeghe’s goal and, therefore, it was not deemed to be a hand pass. 

“It’s a joke,” said Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason. “An absolute joke.”

We’ll agree with this call.  The NHL added common sense to the rulebook this year (literally), and this is one of those situations where it comes in to play, in line with the written rule.  Marchand reaches up to try to grab the puck out of the air. It deflects off the back of his glove and falls to the ice, sliding to the corner. It is played by a Panthers player. 

  • The puck contacted the glove. 
  • It was subsequently played by a teammate
  • Florida maintained possession in the attacking zone. 
  • The puck’s trajectory was not materially changed
  • Deflection was not intentional
  • Puck would have been similarly impacted if it hit Marchand’s body

The puck was coming down after popping up in the air. If it hits Marchand’s helmet, shoulder, or leg — all legal — it’s potentially ending up in the same place.  If Marchand had grabbed it as he intended, or if the puck went directly to a teammate’s stick in front, this should’ve been blown dead. 

As it stands, this deflection off the glove seems to be less impactful to the play.  Consider it ‘incidental contact.’

 

Buffalo Sabres vs. Edmonton Oilers – 12/9/25
Alex Tuch

NHL Ruling: The Situation Room determined that Alex Tuch directed the puck to Tage Thompson with a hand pass at 10:23 of the first period (9:37 elapsed time) – one second prior to Thompson’s goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 79.

“I’ve watched every hand pass, from the Marchand one to the ones that are called hand passes,” Ruff said after the game. “There are two hands on his stick.  It boggles me. Somebody had to explain it to me. How that one is, and the one in Florida I watched isn’t — no explanation.”

The rule does not require that player take his hand off the stick. While uncommon, it it possible to get a hand pass call after punching the puck while holding your stick.

  • The puck contacted the glove. 
  • It was subsequently played by a teammate
  • Buffalo earned a scoring chance on the deflection 
  • The puck’s trajectory was materially changed
  • Deflection was intentional
  • Puck would not have been similarly impacted if it hit Tuch’s body

This is a clearly intentional fist bump on the puck.  Alex Tuch knew it, too.

“I was telling the guys to line up at center ice as quickly as possible. I knew it went off my glove,” said Tuch, who added that he “didn’t think it was a goal.” 

 

Chicago Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers – 12/10/25
Colton Dach

NHL Ruling: The Situation Room determined that Colton Dach directed the puck to Ilya Mikheyev with a hand pass at 9:22 of the second period (10:38 elapsed time) – two seconds prior to Donato’s goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 79.

This one is probably the easiest of the bunch.   If Dach doesn’t stop it with his glove, the puck goes behind the next where Mikheyev wouldn’t be able to make a play.  

  • The puck contacted the glove. 
  • It was subsequently played by a teammate
  • Chicago earned a scoring chance due to the deflection 
  • The puck’s trajectory was materially changed; it stopped completely
  • Deflection was intentional
  • Puck would not have been similarly impacted if it hit Dach’s body; it would not have been playable

If only Dach had been able to tap it with his stick to negate the hand pass…

 

Based on these four reviews, we’re reminded that:

  • Intent doesn’t matter
  • Gaining “an advantage” may be as simple as maintaining possession
  • You can still be called for a handpass while holding your stick

As written, the NHL got them right… for the most part. The Hagel play is the toughest of the bunch. While in line with the letter of the law, the same outcome would likely have resulted if the puck hits Hagel’s body.  It – like many of the NHL rules – is a judgment call. Thanks to the Coach’s Challenge, it comes down to the judgment of the on-ice officials and the boys in the room in Toronto.

Hand Pass Rule Review?

Commissioner Gary Bettman, when asked, advised that the hand pass rule may be up for discussion at the next NHL Board of Governors meeting.  Perhaps our friend John Buccigross will get his way: 


 

 

 

Hear more on our thought on the hand pass bonanza on the latest #RefsPodcast: 

Scouting the Refs Podcast: Hand Pass Disaster