On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• Sad to hear of the passing of longtime NHL linesman Will Norris and AHL linesman Paul Simeon
• Sabres’ Kulich misses the net, hits referee Peter MacDougall
• Liam Maaskant makes his NHL debut on the last day of the regular season
• KHL junior player suspended 7 games for elbowing a ref in the head
• Two game ban for Devils’ Paul Cotter
• No supplemental discipline to Yakov Trenin for his ice-level punch on Derek Forbort
• Oilers’ Darnell Nurse suspended 1 game by Player Safety for cross-checking LA Kings’ Quinton Byfield
• Florida Panthers’ Jesse Puljujarvi banned for 2 games for a headshot on Tampa Bay Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee
• Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dmitri Voronkov returns to the ice after his penalty is lost in translation
• Possibly the strangest - and potentially rule-breaking - shootout at Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens.
• Winnipeg Jets winger Nik Ehlers is injured in a collision with linesman James Tobias
• Carolina’s Tyson Jost has a penalty called for an illegal faceoff, only to have it rescinded after the refs get some ‘feedback’ from coach Rod Brind’Amour

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠heyref@scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• IIHF Women's World Championship Officials
• Frozen Four Refs and Lineys - Congrats to the Hockey East crew of Jeremy Tufts, Geoff Miller, Kevin Briganti, and Nick Briganti, as well as NCHC officials Ryan Hersey, Nathan Wieler, Tyler Liffrig, and Erik Contino who worked the semis
• Swiss League issues a four-game ban to Brendan Lemieux for punching a linesman
• The AHL dishes out a 10-game suspension to Bridgeport Islanders' Adam Beckman for hitting referee Mike Dietrich into the boards
• Referee Alex Lepkowski makes his NHL debut at Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
• Los Angeles Kings' Quinton Byfield scores an amazing goal against the Seattle Kraken -- but he should've been called for a minor penalty
• More stick shenanigans at Kings/Ducks after Anaheim challenged - and lost the challenge - on a high stick prior to a Laferriere goal.
• St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington scrapped with Corey Perry, throwing some punches with his catching glove -- but not his blocker, which makes a difference in the rulebook.
• Congrats to linesman Brad Kovachik on 1900 NHL games, 13th all-time among lineys and #1 among active officials. Steve Barton and Kelly Sutherland both recently hit 1600-game milestones.

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Visit ⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠heyref@scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• Referee Ghislain Hebert and linesman Derek Nansen hanging up the skates… but not before getting in some late hits, with Nansen laying out Buffalo Sabres’ Peyton Krebs
• Minnesota Wild goaltender Jonas Gustavsson stops the puck on his back and - after review - keeps it from going over the line.
• Florida Panthers’ AJ Greer scores off his skate against the Montreal Canadiens but the goal is immediately waved off… then, after a brief discussion, allowed… then, after video review, called back for a distinct kicking motion.
• In the PWHL, Montreal’s Kati Tabin picks up a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head, but avoids a suspension
• Referee Frederick L’Ecuyer - who previously brought you “all the other guys gonna have a misconduct” - starts calling out players by name on the penalty announcement
• Carolina Hurricanes’ Jalen Chatfield drops the gloves then goes MMA-style with a judo takedown on Washington Capitals’ Connor McMichael - with no fine or suspension on the play.
• Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe is awarded a goal after getting tripped up and crashing into the Utah goaltender
• Over in the Swiss League, former NHLer Brendan Lemieux is suspended for accidentally punching linesman Dominik Altmann… and, no, you can’t do that.
• Anaheim Ducks’ Frank Vatrano holds - then throws - the stick of Calgary Flames’ Blake Coleman.
• and Congrats to QMJHL linesman Sylvain Losier, who set a league record with 240 playoff games!

Plenty of action on this week’s #RefsPodcast!

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Visit ⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠heyref@scoutingtherefs.com⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• St. Louis Blues’ Zach Bolduc gets fined for a cross-check on Nashville Predators’ Nick Blankenburg, but avoids a penalty for a hit on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
• Boston Bruins’ Michael Callahan misses his assignment, gets beat on a goal, and cross-checks Anaheim Ducks’ Jansen Harkins in the neck, earning a penalty and a fine.
• Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola fires a buzzer-beater from the defensive end, barely missing Montreal Canadiens’ David Savard and getting 2 + 10 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• St. Louis also makes like the Harlem Globetrotters, with three consecutive mid0air plays on the puck before scoring – legally.
• Buzzkill in LA as the refs keep us from a goalie fight between Jeremy Swayman and Darcy Kuemper.
• The New York Islanders are once again frustrated with goaltender interference reviews as Kyle Palmieri enters the blue paint and sees his goal disallowed.
• More disallowed goals at Calgary Flames vs. Dallas Stars, after the Flames’ have a Connor Zary goal wiped out for a kicking motion and a Joel Farabee marker wiped out for interference.
• One more crease collision - though a bit more accidental, and outside the blue paint - as Stars’ Mikko Rantanen steamrolls the Edmonton Oilers’ Stuart Skinner with no penalty called.

------------------

Visit ⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠heyref@scoutingtherefs.com⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• Stripes getting set for the Stadium Series... will we get a Michigan or Ohio official in the house?
• Referee Justin Kea stays in the game after getting his 'bells rung' after a clearing attempt catches him in the undercarriage.
• Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Hartman has his suspension reduced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, serving two fewer games and retaining nearly $100k in salary as a result of his appeal.
• Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras gets three games for headhunting despite no penalty call in the game.
• It’s a tale of two goal sticks on dueling goaltender interference calls. We get a Seattle Kraken goal restored after a challenge that Blues defenseman Colton Parayko bumped Jordan Binnington’s stick, along with another lost stick after Florida Panthers’ Jonah Gadjovich swats away the stick of Nashville Predators goaltender Jusse Saros for no goal.
• We also take a look at a high stick from Los Angeles Kings forward Warren Foegele. Fans were up in arms asking why the Vancouver Canucks challenged for goaltender interference instead of challenging the high stick.

There’s a very simple reason… on this week’s #RefsPodcast.

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Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! #RefsPodcast

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

On this episode of the Scouting the Refs podcast, Todd and Josh discuss various topics related to hockey officiating, including the ever-increasing effectiveness of Coach's Challenges, some penalty calls from the recent Beanpot tournament, and the differences between NCAA and NHL rules. They also delve into the dynamics of fighting in the Four Nations tournament - which is not exactly an international event as it's played under NHL rules - and provide an update on Ryan Hartman's suspension and appeal. The conversation highlights the evolving nature of officiating in hockey and the importance of understanding the rules across different leagues.

------------------

Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! #RefsPodcast

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breaking down the ten-game suspension for Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman, and what comes next with his appeal to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and potentially an independent arbitrator. Hartman’s ban is the longest since Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson was suspended for 20 games - reduced to 14 upon appeal - back in 2018-19. We dig into the appeal process – how Wilson’s was reduced and what might happen for Hartman.

Double-review at Sens vs. Preds as an Ottawa Senators goal is first reviewed by the Situation Room for a continuous play and then challenged for goaltender interference by the Nashville Predators.

A rare ‘offensive’ coach’s challenge from the Winnipeg Jets overturns a goal disallowed due to goaltender interference, actually putting the goal back up on the board.

More reviews at Leafs vs. Flames, as the Toronto Maple Leafs lose their first goal of the game on a high stick from John Tavares, and the Calgary Flames lose theirs to goaltender interference from the stick of Jonathan Huberdeau on goaltender Joseph Woll.

Colorado Avalanche’s Miles Wood had a rough night with a pair of penalties, including a minor for slashing that should have been a speaking major. No major penalty called on the play, and nothing from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on that one, despite Rule 62.

Boston Bruins’ Morgan Geekie sends an opposing player’s stick into orbit, picking up an interference minor on the play under Rule 56.2. It's a call every time, even when opposing players pull a .38 Special and 'Hold On Loosely'...

Plus, the NHL’s upcoming Four Nations tournament only has two nations represented in stripes… Missed opportunity?

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Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! #RefsPodcast

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minnesota Wild’s Ryan Hartman gets a match penalty for intent to injure after he slams the head of Ottawa Senators’ Tim Stutzle into the ice on a faceoff; Hartman will have an in-person hearing - allowing the league to suspend him for five games or more - with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. . More head contact at Devils vs. Sabres, as New Jersey’s Stefan Noesen catches Buffalo’s Tage Thompson up high, earning a match penalty but no supplemental discipline.

Should the NHL institute a multiplier for suspensions and fines to really up the stakes for repeat offenders?

New Jersey Devils’ Brendan Dillon got away with interference against Philadelphia Flyers’ Owen Tippett, Vegas Golden Knights’ Mark Stone picks up two for tripping after he crashed into Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen - thanks to some stickwork from Roope Hintz. Edmonton Oilers’ John Klingberg is juuuuuuust a bit offside, but a bit is all it took to wipe out Leon Draisaitl’s goal and foil the Oilers’ comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist dives, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Emil Lilleberg gest suspended, and Chicago Blackhawks’ Ryan Donato gets a little help from a ref…

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Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! #RefsPodcast

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.