Scouting The Refs Podcast #RefsPodcast

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...

Episode 231 / January 25, 2025: It's a jam-packed week with tons of National Hockey League action. We're also joined by the North American Hockey League (NAHL)'s Keith Kaval and Kendall Hanley to discuss their upcoming NAHL Officiating Exposure Camps to help develop referees and linespersons. You've still got timt to sign up and join them - more info at NAHL.com or check out our post at scoutingth...

Episode 229 / January 11, 2025: A pair of milestone games for refs Eric Furlatt and Chris Rooney, Leafs’ Domi and Senators’ Cousins, Ducks’ Helleson tossed - and nothing more - for kneeing Flames’ Zary. Was it the right call? Bolts/Bruins get spicy with a Lilleberg cross-check to the face, Bedard kicks it (but does he really?), the ref-cam returns, Quinn Hughes is the man-in-the-box for way longer...

Episode 228 / January 4, 2025: So much for New Year’s Resolutions! The NHL Department of Player Safety has been busy handing out fines to Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (high-sticking), Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Maroon (elbowing), and Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett (roughing), along with a three-game suspension to Nashville Predators’ Zachary L’Heureux for slew-footing. Finally, the refs and...

Episode 227 / December 20, 2024: With the final #RefsPodcast before Christmas, we look at who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, along with the airing of grievances in the spirit of Festivus! Linesman Travis Toomey injured, Detroit Red Wings’ Jonatan Berggren fined for cross-checking, San Jose Sharks’ coach Ryan Warsofsky fined $25,000 for comments towards the officials, and Edmonton’s Darnell Nu...

Episode 226 / December 13, 2024: Reminiscing about the good ol' days when the National Hockey League would lock an old man in a plexiglass phone booth for a few hours with only a button to press... and where technology has gotten us in the NHL. Get the pool ready -- we've got Josh Norris picking up a $2000 fine for diving, and John Tortorella considering teaching his Flyers how to do front double...

Episode 225 / December 7, 2024: Fines, fines, everywhere fines as the Boston Bruins’ Nikita Zadorov and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin each get $5000 fines. Buffalo Sabres’ Jeff Skinner pays up $2000 for diving/embellishment. Soo Greyhounds coach Over in the OHL, we’ve got a fine and suspension for a coach criticizing the refs, as well as a suspension for a teddy bear toss return; we offer up...

Episode 224 / November 30, 2024: It’s a crazy NHL schedule this week thanks to the Thanksgiving Holiday!  On this week’s #RefsPodcast, the challenges of making - and staying in - the NHL as an official, Panthers’ Tkachuk called for interference without making contact, Timo Meier suspended for making plenty of contact with a cross-check to the face, questionable contact (if any) that led to an...

Episode 223 / November 23, 2024: The NHL's Department of Player Safety finally did it... again. DOPS released a video explaining the rule around illegal checks to the head, including why a few players didn't get suspended. Of course, not all the players were so lucky. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves picked up a five-game ban for an illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Dar...

Episode 222 / November 16, 2024: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn has his major penalty for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo reduced to a two-minute minor after review, Utah’s Michael Carcone picked up seven minutes in penalty after a one-sided scrap against Jack Drury of the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s a three-review game at Leafs vs. Caps, with a disallowed goal from Toronto’s Steven...

Episode 221 / November 9, 2024: We’re seeing double this week with two reviews - and two pucks on the ice. Plus, Todd and Josh are joined by Tyler Nimmons, director and executive producer of ECHL Unfiltered. The Avalanche had a goal taken away for offside, only to have it reinstated a moment later after a protest from the Avs’ bench delayed the faceoff long enough for the Situation Room to go back...

Let the coaches’ challenges begin! One week into the season, we’ve already seen challenges for goaltender interference, offside, and missed stoppages. We’ve got two minutes to Detroit Red Wings’ Christian Fisher for breaking his stick after an icing.   Brendan Dillon of the New Jersey Devils sees his major penalty for interference on Buffalo’s J.J. Peterka reduced to a minor, a Kraken go...

Game on! The regular season is officially here. We've got goaltender interference in Columbus, possible penalty reviews, and ECHL rulebook adjustments. Toronto Maple Leafs' Cedric Pare's knee-on-knee hit on Montreal Canadiens' Patrik Laine, and the aftermath with Arber Xhekaj going after Pare and picking up instigator, aggressor, and fighting penalties along with a $3,385 fine. Xhekaj also made he...

On this week's #RefsPodcast: Cal Foote suspended by Slovakia, OHL adds 24 new officials, moving from lines to ref, Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin goes headhunting on Chicago Blackhawks’ A.J. Spellacy, New York Rangers’ Brennan Othmann delivers an unpenalized blindside hit on Boston Bruins’ Parker Wotherspoon who eventually picks up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing his helmet. A Phi...

Wrapping up NHL Officials training camp, the NHL releases a rule change update video, and QMJHL officiating updates.   Todd and Josh go through The Athletic’s recent player survey covering the NHL standings, overtime, shootout goals, and post-game ref press availability. Plus, should the NHL’s Department of Player Safety set minimum standards for suspensions?  ------------------- Visit&n...

Getting ready for the upcoming 2024-25 National Hockey League season with a review of the rule changes, including a big one that will allow Coach's Challenges for puck-over-glass delay of game penalties, along with Ryan Getzlaf joining former teammate George Parros in the NHL's Department of Player Safety. Todd and Josh look back at the retiring officials, the promotions, and the two new hires joi...

Recently retired NHL referee Kevin Pollock picks up a new gig as the Ontario Hockey Association’s Director of Officiating, summer camps are underway including the NHL’s second trip to Europe for a Summer Officiating Combine and the upcoming NHL Officiating Exposure Combine in Buffalo. NHL stripes are keeping busy with their own camps and charitable ventures, like linesman Steve Barton’s charity go...

After 259 days and 1,400 games, the 2023-24 NHL season is finally over! We look back at Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final: Game 6: The Edmonton Oilers win a critical offside challenge against the Florida Panthers. That one took guts... but should we even be reviewing plays that close? What about 'the spirit of the rule'? Where's the line? Also, Florida's Sam Bennett gets dumped right before a...

On this week's #RefsPodcast, we roll through Games 4 and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers! Game 4: Edmonton's Darnell Nurse has a kneeing major penalty downgraded to a two-minute minor... but was there embellishment on the play? And can we make a rule change that'll help the refs when there is? No penalty on a hit by the Panthers' Kyle Okposo on Leon...

Is this the final day for the Stanley Cup Final? Can the Edmonton Oilers stay alive? With the Florida Panthers holding a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, we look back at what's happened thus far in the Cup Final. Game 1: Oilers' Henrique boards Panthers' Ekman-Larsson, Sam Bennett runs over Connor McDavid, and Sergei Bobrovsky gets a whistle with the puck under his pad. Game 2: Edmonton's Warren...

Heading into the Stanley Cup Final this week on the #RefsPodcast, with a look at the officials selected to work the championship series between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Expect things to tighten up as penalty minutes are down and power plays are at a premium late in the playoffs. Did the officials miss a penalty on Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for closing his hand on the...

This week on the #RefsPodcast, we discuss a pair of major penalties that were downgraded after officials' review. The Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov had a major penalty reduced to a minor for hit on Rangers’ Alex Wennberg and the Rangers’ Jacob Trouba saw his elbowing major on Florida’s Evan Rodrigues dropped to a minor…  neither with any explanation as to why the refs felt neither play deserved a...

This week on the #RefsPodcast, we ask: Where's Wes McCauley? Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid takes an overtime high-sticking penalty that was confirmed via review... but was another penalty missed? Boston Bruins forward Charlie Coyle gives a little 'How do you do' to Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad's undercarriage, with no penalty or fine. Goaltender interference (surprise!) at Vancouver...

No goal! We’ve got no goal after Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs saves a puck with his glove that might have been over the line… but a good goal for the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett after he cross-checked Charlie Coyle into Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman. We also have some goaltender interference on the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky.  No call! Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid...

On this week’s #RefsPodcast, we’ve got big hits, mega misconducts, and… who’s that ref? Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn goes unpenalized for a hit on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews - even after a ref review, Carolina Hurricanes’ Tony DeAngelo gets two for a hit on Will Cuylle of the New York Rangers, more goaltender collisions at Canes/Rangers, and some poor goaltender geometry for the...