Scouting The Refs Podcast #RefsPodcast

That's what Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde wanted to know before he was ejected from the Red Wings' game against the Penguins. We break down the initial play, the Coach's Challenge for goaltender interference, the rule, the announcement, and the fallout from the play.  Also the net goes off but the puck goes in on Marchenko's goal, shootout specifics, Habs' Hoffman weighs in after Lizotte gets s...

It's a new NHL record! Four goals overturned by Coach's Challenges at Oilers/Sharks, two incidents in Habs/Bruins as Greer cross-checks Hoffman in the face and Marchand goes after Pitlick for a hit on Bergeron, Sergachev dumps Anderson into the goal frame, Oshie gets an instigator avenging a legal hit by Dumba, Hedman takes out Chychrun, Acciari boards Nelson with no call, the difference on scorin...

Binnington's blocker blast results in a two game suspension, Tavares and Suzuki fined, Sens forget to play to the (delayed) whistle on an icing, GMs considering more penalty reviews and stricter penalties for fights after clean hits, no fighting in the Q, officiating feedback and accountability, and looking back at the chicken ref...  More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns,...

Some stickwork below the belt gets the Flyers' Deangelo suspended, Sharks' Quinn ejected and fined for blasting referee Gord Dwyer, Watson hits Motte, Karlsson and Dunn throwing fits and smashing sticks, an unfortunate OT offside for the Wild, and a controversial kick... or not.  More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com an...

Is it a spear or a slash?  Kuznetsov with some stickwork, McCauley takes out Marchand, Rangers' Miller suspended for spitting, fines fly after Stars/Canucks, Domi loses some teeth, Foegele loses a goal to a quick whistle, Bob takes a trip, a quick look at refs' schedules, and congrats to the officials selected for Hockey Week Across America!  More on these plays, including video clips and rule bre...

Player Safety has had it easy with no suspensions in nearly two months... until this week. Tampa's Cernak gets an elbow up, Lyubushkin gets away with a hook that was sold hard by Stamkos, Kadri gets tossed, Larkin fined for crosschecking, Chicago's Patrick Kane gets clock blocked, and we look at some possible future tech fixes for the NHL.    More on these plays, including video clips and rule bre...

It's all about knocking things off this week, whether it's Jamie Benn and Brad Marchand battling in front of the net or the goal frame literally getting knocked off its pegs. We saw displaced nets result in a disallowed goal and a penalty shot this week. Plus, a first for Sidney Crosby as he gets tossed for complaining to the refs, and a near-offside on an overtime Habs winner. More on these plays...

The New York Rangers and Calgary Flames take us out of the All-Star Break and back in to the regular season with a bang! Or two or three -- all legal. The Flames kick one in, ref Kelly Sutherland gives a masterclass in penalty announcements, Benn goes bucketless, and no awarded goal for Rangers on an empty net. Plus, Pens' Carter takes out Avs' Makar with a hit to the head. No penalty, no fine, no...

The All-Star Break is here, which means some time off for the stripes! Koharski (not that one) retires, Zegras picks up a dime for some choice words, Leafs' Keefe butts heads with McCauley again, and a a new take on mic'd up refs in the NCAA -- will the NHL follow suit? More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @...

A midseason refresher on some rules, including a high stick from Montreal's Matheson, a goal from Arizona's Schmaltz on a displaced net, and a missed interference call on a sneaky Malkin stick push, along with a fine to the Coyotes' Valimaki, and an officiating injury update.  Todd and Josh also review a penalty call on the Jets' Schmidt that appeared to come via review -- and what exactly caused...

Penny for your thoughts? Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is out $25,000 for his. Pittsburgh's Mike Sullivan also vents his frustrations, Ovi hammers Pageau, Gudas called for a charge, Matheson's 'reverse hit' goes unpenalized, a Panthers goal stands despite Tkachuk in the crease, and a Kane vs. Kucherov battle draws a mysterious review and injures a linesman at Lightning vs. Oilers. Plus, Todd an...

The Oilers get called for a Too Many Men penalty with five skaters on... wait, what? We recap a busy Thursday, with three goalie helmets coming off - one resulting in a penalty on the Stars' Oettinger and a goal against the Coyotes' Vejmelka - a Wings goal denied for a kicked puck, a Sergachev sucker punch, a Keller cross-check, Matt Murray tests his net, while another comes off the pegs on a good...

It's an international incident as Team USA has two goals overturned against Canada at the World Juniors due to goaltender interference. We take a look at the two plays and the IIHF rulebook. That's using your head as Caps' Strome scores off a bucket, Zegras breaks his stick then steals an opponent's -- you can't do that -- Boston's Brad Marchand gets called for a stick slam, and nothing coming for...

The Toronto Maple Leafs are out $125K for comments 'demeaning to officials' and some questionable travel plans. Linesmen Chad and Cody Huseby made their unexpected NHL debuts, a major for Canada's Dean at the WJC, Wild's Shaw sits for kneeing, Flames' Weegar hits Oilers' McDavid with no penalty, and - now boarding - Kings' Fiala on  Newhook... plus, a New Years' Resolution for the league.  Visit w...

Heading into the holidays with a look at who's been nice - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, for sure - and who's been naughty. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting has a run-in with linesman Dan Kelly, San Jose's Hertl's stick gets him a seat for two, Lightning's Sergachev delivers a $5000 slash, Jersey's Haula called for a stick toss, and the dreaded 'intent to blow' no-goal call...

It's a busy week for the NHL's Situation Room and the Department of Player Safety.  Controversy in Edmonton at the Oilers' McDavid is ruled offside after an overtime review. Todd and Josh break down the play and the rule, along with suspensions to Buffalo's Jeff Skinner, Seattle's Jamie Oleksiak, and Pierre Engvall of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  We've got no penalty, no suspension to Reaves for a de...

Can we work it? The Isles' Matt Martin makes the NHL's Situation Room back it up, flip it, and reverse over two minutes of action.  We've got the Rangers' Trouba trucking opponents and avoiding calls, Panthers' Tkachuk going spearing, linesmen hit by pucks... again, referee Chris Rooney on the mic, displaced net goals (and no goals - we'll break down the rule on that one), along with goalies behav...

The fans didn't throw hats - though they did throw garbage - after a hat-trick of disallowed goals ended the New Jersey Devils' winning streak. Toronto's Giordano scores on a displaced net, Vegas loses a goal that hit the camera, Makar's questionable-yet-costly interference call, plus two linesmen struck: one with a stick, and one with a puck! Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingther...

Winnipeg's Pierre-Luc Dubois should be getting a kickback from Player Safety after being on the receiving end of two incidents that prompted fines - $5000 to Calgary's Blake Coleman and $2500 to Carson Soucy of the Seattle Kraken. Nic Aube-Kubel gets a 3-game suspension, nothing for Vancouver's Edler after a knee-on-knee hit on the Oilers' Connor McDavid, nor for Romanov's hit on Pinto. Plus, GM m...

It was a busy week for the NHL's Department of Player Safety, handing out six games of supplemental discipline, with two Habs suspensions for Josh Anderson and Juraj Slafkovsky, two games to Florida's Matthew Tkachuk for some amateur opthalmology with his hockey stick on Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, and a high-sticking match penalty - with a $5000 fine but no suspension - to Minnesota's Kirill...

The NHL's Department of Player Safety sending out bills with $8,800 in fines this week with a whole lot of slashing and interference going on. Some sketchy hits with Kunin on Hornqvist and Gambrell on Cernak, plus a Martinook spear. We also break down goaltender interference calls at Habs/Jets and Ducks/Leafs, and discuss suggestions from The Athletic's Sean McIndoe to revamp offside reviews.  Vis...

Under review this week: one item ineligible for review. We've got high-sticks at Panthers/Isles and Rangers/Avs, including one that shouldn't have been given a second look. Todd and Josh tackle more video reviews, remote refs, a kicked-in goal at Canes/Canucks, and media comments on the penalty parade from Oilers/Blackhawks. Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewiss...

Did NHL Player Safety get it right on the one-game suspension to Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov? We look at the comparables and the rationale, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs' goal lost to a hand pass, Florida's Gudas gets away with one, is 'significant presence in the crease' a new wrinkle in the interference rule, retired ref Dave Jackson adding value, and revamping retro ref je...

Referee Chris Rooney kicks off (game 3 of) the NHL season with a pre-game speech, more refs mic'd up, Player Safety's first regular season fine, reviewing offside and pucks-over-the-goal-line, eliminating replays, and how the NHL is considering using player tracking technology to call penalties.  Yes, really.  Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitte...

If the NHL season starts in Europe while the preseason is still going on, did it actually start? We kick off the 2022-23 season, opportunities for Euro officials at the Global Series, NHL officials off the ice and away from the rink, the season's first penalty, one more preseason fine, welcome the Seattle Kraken's BUOY, and plead for the return of the ref-cam. Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and fol...