NHL Officiating Archives

Islanders Struggle With Defense, Discipline, & Officiating in Game 2 Loss

James Nichols | June 16, 2021

The New York Islanders fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their semi-final rematch last night 4-2. In comparison to Game 1, tempers were high in last…

Hurricanes’ Svechnikov Struggling With NHL Officiating

Alex Ohari | April 11, 2021

It hasn’t been a banner year for NHL officiating. Let’s not make any qualms about it. When referees aren’t ratting themselves out for purposefully giving out penalties in a game…

Jets Right to Be Angry About Officiating

Declan Schroeder | January 6, 2020

The Winnipeg Jets and their fans are right to be rankled by rotten officiating that influenced the result of their latest game against the Minnesota Wild. Inconsistent Calls Abound, Confound…

NHL Expands Video Review After Missed Calls

The Canadian Press | June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER — The NHL is expanding its video review process to a format that would have had the potential to alter two notable missed calls during the playoffs — though the rule changes come at a price.
The league’s general managers approved allowing coa…

Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Could Hinge on Officiating

The Canadian Press | June 9, 2019

ST. LOUIS — Patrick Maroon doesn’t want to go there. Not even about how the St. Louis Blues handle the roller coaster of inconsistent officiating.
“I’m not talking about it,” the usually talkative Maroon said. “If you want to talk about Game 6, I’ll ta…

NHL Has Priorities All Wrong on Video Review

Leo Bond | May 20, 2019

A look at how the NHL’s current use of video replay is desperately out of balance and must be fixed before next season for the sake of the game’s integrity.

The Problem With Playoff Officiating

Brian Joyce | April 17, 2019

It is commonplace for fans to look for excuses when their team loses a game in the playoffs. Whether it be lack of rest or bad bounces, there will always…

Rask & Officiating Didn’t Cause Early Exit

Drew Johnson | May 10, 2018

In Game 5 of their second-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Boston Bruins were eliminated from the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their quest for ice hockey’s most-saught-for trophy…

Why Jets Crashed in Game 3

Declan Schroeder | April 17, 2018

The Winnipeg Jets came into Game 3 of their series against the Minnesota Wild flying high, no doubt feeling above the clouds thanks to two big-time wins and fervent fan…

‘Failed Offside Challenge’ a Symptom of NHL’s Poor Officiating

Will Billinghurst | September 18, 2017

There have been some rule changes before the start of the 2017-18 NHL season. One of the three changes has stood out from the rest with, the ‘failed offside challenge’…

Stanley Cup Final Filled With Inconsistencies

Brady Smith | June 1, 2017

The NHL playoffs, where the calls are made up and points don’t matter. At least that’s how it has seemed at times since the puck dropped in Game 1 of…

Pursuing the NHL’s Most Controversial Job

The Hockey Writers | May 25, 2017

During regulation game time, a referee will make about 300 decisions. Although a small fraction of those calls will actually stop play, each decision he makes directly affects the game. It’s a…