On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• • NHL officials who made - and missed - the cut for the NHL Conference Finals, including some surprises.
  • Zebra down! We’ve seen standby officials called into action quite a few times in the playoffs, including after recent injuries to Kelly Sutherland and Chris Rooney.
  • Canes’ Shayne Gostisbehere vs. Panthers’ Brad Marchand - we’ve got a puck shot at a player with no penalty or fine, followed by a mysterious extra penalty for Florida. What happened?
  • It’s not only hard to defend with a broken stick, it’s illegal, as Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns found out.
  • Oilers’ Evander Kane with a clear high stick - at least from this angle - on the Stars’ Matt Duchene.
  • Carolina’s Brent Burns puts the Canes offside, wiping out their only goal in Game 2.
  • Was Niko Mikkola’s hit on Seth Jarvis legal? The NHL rule book says it was…
  • More rough stuff in the IIHF with a cross-checking ejection at Austria vs. Switzerland.
  • Looking back at a close call on an offside at Leafs/Panthers, where Toronto was smart not to challenge based on the often-misunderstood delayed offside rule, and a good goal off the skate - without a distinct kicking motion - from the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho.

  
  

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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:

• Was it a kick? Or a deflection? Or both? Stars/Jets gives us a controversial goal that went off Alex Petrovic’s skate, off goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s stick and in. Did the Situation Room make the right call?

• Official injury updates; two linesmen are out for the playoffs

• NHL Series Supervisors - who are they and what do they do?

• Dallas Stars’ Mason Marchment slashes referee Graham Skilliter - and gets away with it

• A crosscheck to the face results in a $7000 fine to Vegas Golden Knights’ Nic Roy, which is over the $5000 we always hear is the ‘maximum allowable under the CBA’

• A high stick is legal when it’s a follow-through, but that wasn’t the case for the Winnipeg Jets’ Haydn Fleury.

• Also, it’s not a penalty when you high stick your team trainer, as Tomas Hertl found out.

• Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour was furious after a high-sticking penalty to Jordan Staal was really the result of friendly fire, but not eligible for review.

• Toronto Maple Leafs’ Max Domi was fined for a late hit on Florida Panthers’ Sasha Barkov, but there was no call and no fine for an attempted elbow by Dmitry Kulikov on Mitch Marner.

• Plus, what is a fight in the IIHF, and how did one scrum result in three fighting majors at France vs. Slovakia? The answer - and the definition - might surprise you.

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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:

• Creative crowd chants - more than just ‘ref you suck’

• Officials set for the IIHF World Championship as well as in the OHL Championship Series and the USHL Clark Cup Final
• A minor incident at Leafs/Panthers between Sam Bennett and Anthony Stolarz results in an injury but no call, no fine, no suspension
• Referee Wes McCauley is called into duty as a linesman after an injury to Shandor Alphonso, working this lines for the first time in the NHL
• Florida Panthers’ Evan Rodrigues gets crunched into the boards by the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Scott Laughton, with each player picking up a minor penalty on the play as Rodrigues is whistled for embellishment. After review, we’re not so sure about that one…
• Edmonton’s Connor Brown takes a penalty for goaltender interference, but it looks like the contact was caused by Vegas forward Brett Howden
• Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy gets ejected in overtime - major penalty and game misconduct - for a crosscheck to the face of Edmonton Oilers’ Trent Frederic
• No call in overtime on the Oilers’ Viktor Arvidsson for a dangerous trip on Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb, who crashed awkwardly into the boards and suffered an injury on the play.
• The Athletic’s Rule Court gives us some interesting suggestions to weigh in on. Our take on possible tweaks to offside, playoff standings, and faceoffs – including one that would have a huge unexpected (and probably well-received) impact.

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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:

• NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Round 2 officials announced!
• Double-review in Vegas as the Minnesota Wild's Ryan Hartman has a goal reviewed for a distinct kicking motion... and called back after an offside challenge.
• No penalty but a 2-game suspension to the Panthers' Aaron Ekblad for a hit on the Lightning's Brandon Hagel.
• Major penalty to Florida's Niko Mikkola for boarding Zemgus Girgensons.
• Blues' Brayden Schenn whistled for interference for a hit that injured Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele.
• A pre-game Nylander mix-up nearly costs the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to Rule 5.2.
• Colorado's Jack Drury gets called for a rare third-period playoff penalty for an obvious faceoff tackle
• Twice, players cover the puck in the crease at Kings/Oilers, and twice no penalty shot is awarded; twice, it should have been.
• Should the playoffs be called the same way as the regular season?
• Allan Walsh is not happy with playoff officiating.
• The Kings' Warren Foegele gets away with a little abuse of officials on liney Libor Suchanek...

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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:

• 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.

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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.