With goaltender interference becoming one of the most talked about topics in the NHL in recent weeks if not months, TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted that the four NHL All-Star coaches, NHL general managers and team executives are meeting today in Tampa Bay with league brass to discuss it. Dreger adds that NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom will also attend the meeting.
The debate has been glorified recently as goals scored by Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid both had their goals taken away due to the rule. Matthews’ goal was called back Monday against Colorado after it was found he got caught up in goaltender Jonathan Bernier’s blocker. Both he and coach Mike Babcock said after the game that they didn’t understand what constitutes goaltender interference.
“There’s definitely a bit of grey area there,” Matthews said Saturday, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “Night in, night out, some stuff is goalie interference and some stuff isn’t. You kinda compare and it doesn’t make sense sometimes.”
McDavid had his goal called back Thursday against Calgary when his skates hit the stick of goaltender David Rittich.
“I think everyone just wants black and white,” McDavid said post-game. “I think everyone just wants it to be goaltender interference or not.”
That debate continues as Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby today said he has no problem with the goaltender interference rule, pointing out that the referees made the right call in both situations involving Matthews and McDavid.
“There’s been some situations where it’s probably been magnified. It happened in Toronto, and it happened in Edmonton, so you tend to look at it a little more,” Crosby said during the all-star game’s media day. “As a player, you have a pretty good idea. If you affect the goalie’s ability to make a save, it’s not going to be a goal. I think it’s been pretty consistent. It’s tough in the moment to understand that. I watch a lot of hockey, and I like to think, as a player, I’m pretty aware when it’s going to be called back.”
Of course Crosby is ok with it…he gets away with it quite a bit. I’m sure his attitude will change when it happens to him
I’m okay with the Auston Matthews goal being called back on Monday because there was contact… even if minimal. Where I’m lost is when the goal on Wednesday with Anisimov (I think) basically sitting on Andersen still counted. That was 100 times the “contact” of the AM scenario. The rule is screwed up. Take away the judgement calls by so many different officials. Goaltender interference calls should be made solely by same people in Toronto (NHL oversight) overseeing each and every game.
The goal counted for the Hawks on Wednesday because Anisimov fell on top of Andersen right after the puck was already in the net.
He was kind of lead into the goalie by the leafs defenders anyways
At this point, with so much grey area and all the confusion, it might be best for the NHL to adopt the IIHF model and just institute automatic whistles on any goalie contact.