Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart was desperate to stop play. So desperate, in fact, he took a penalty to do so. That might’ve been a good move.
Carter Hart gets a delay of game penalty after he loses his skate blade and deliberately takes his helmet off to get the ref’s attention 😅 pic.twitter.com/vmlYVTPPV1
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 15, 2026
When a shot from Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke knocked the blade out of Hart’s left skate, the goaltender looked to the referee to stop play. Unfortunately for Hart, the teams played on.
There’s no rule to blow the whistle when a player – even a goaltender – loses a skate blade, under Rule 14.1:
Play shall not be stopped nor the game delayed by reasons of adjustments to clothing, equipment, skates or sticks.
No delay shall be permitted for the repair or adjustment of goalkeeper’s equipment. If adjustments are required, the goalkeeper shall leave the ice and his place shall be taken by the substitute goalkeeper immediately.
With no stoppage coming and the Ducks in possession of the puck, Hart threw off his mask. That drew a stoppage — and a minor penalty for delay of game, under Rule 9.6:
When a goalkeeper has lost his helmet and/or face mask and his team has control of the puck, play shall be stopped immediately to allow the goalkeeper the opportunity to regain his helmet and/or face mask. When the opposing team has control of the puck, play shall only be stopped if there is no immediate and impending scoring opportunity. This stoppage of play must be made by the Referee.
When a goalkeeper deliberately removes his helmet and/or face mask in order to secure a stoppage of play, the Referee shall stop play as outlined above and assess the goalkeeper a minor penalty for delay of game.
The Golden Knights were leading 5-1 at the time of the penalty with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Sure, the penalty put Vegas down a man, but the game was well in-hand. Better to allow a goal than risk an injury to your starting goaltender.
Vegas killed off the late game penalty, going on to win the game and the series. Officials for the game were referees Garrett Rank (#7) and Kyle Rehman (#10), with Ryan Gibbons (#58) and Trent Knorr (#74) on the lines.
The Golden Knights have advanced to face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
