November 9, 2021 by Brett Luchanski

Hey, this is Brett Luchanski! Some readers might know me better as “Surveyor Brett” on Twitter. There has always been a lot of talk about officiating in the NHL, especially when the Edmonton Oilers are playing, but even more lately with the endless controversial head shots, checks from behind and overall holding and hooking calls that seemingly get missed or made nightly. I want to give you a perspective that many of you might not have ever heard – the guy wearing the stripes with a whistle. 

First, let me give you some background. I’ve been a hockey official since I was 13-years-old. When I was 12 and in my second year of Pee Wee, I got absolutely BLOWN UP at the blueline (this is when you could still body check in Pee Wee) and decided playing hockey just wasn’t for me. I decided to become a referee the following year.

Officiating is a tough job. Adults are very terrible to young officials. I almost quit in my second year after getting physically bumped into in the hallway by a 40-year-old lady. I was 14 at the time and it was after a Novice game. Pretty ridiculous, right? It happens. I’ve been yelled at, threatened and even had to wait it out in the ref’s dressing room until some “fans” gave up and went home. I’ve waved off goals in the finals of Minor Hockey Week and called penalty shots in overtime of league finals. It’s a tough job and I take a lot of abuse out there but for some reason I keep coming back for more.

It was a busy week in the NHL with some controversial calls. I’m going to take a look at two. 

Sergachev lands a headshot on Marner

This one was a cut and dry illegal check to the head by NHL standards. Mitch Marner is getting hooked from behind and is in a vulnerable position. Mikhail Sergachev approaches him from across the ice and picks Marner’s head clean with his shoulder, as his head shoots back. 

Marner’s head didn’t change right before the hit and Sergachev could have easily avoided this one. The rule states: 

After reading these options, I believe giving him two minutes for illegal check to the head was the correct call in the game. The play was a head shot but I don’t think it escalated to Match penalty levels. 

Sergachev picked up a two-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety. I think many fans would agree that this type of hit should be discouraged with supplemental discipline. The only problem I have with it is that many aren’t. You can find numerous examples of this same type of hit picking up one game or no games. Dare I say there may have been a “it happened to a Leaf” surcharge added onto this suspension. Overall, I’d say the referees and NHL Department of Player Safety got this one right.

Lomberg runs over Rantaa

In the Florida Panthers-Carolina Hurricanes game on Sunday, Antti Rantaa made the poor decision to come flying out of the net and go for the poke check near the top of the left circle. Ryan Lomberg was in a race for the puck with head down, and at the last second he sees Rantaa. I believe at that moment Lomberg tries to hit the brakes and avoid but it’s too late. He runs into Rantaa, and Hurricanes goalie went down hard. 

This is a tough one. Goalies aren’t “fair game” if outside the crease but that’s not what this was. Lomberg didn’t see a goalie out by the circles and decide to blow him up. He was in a race for the puck. The charging rule puts the onus on the attacking player to “reasonably avoid” incidental contact with a goaltender outside the crease. 

I don’t like the finality of that sentence. When the goaltender comes that far out of his crease for that poke check, I think that some of the onus needs to be placed on the goaltender as well for contact. The referees called a five-minute major penalty on Lomberg for charging. Under this rule, 42.3 and 42.5, if a major is assessed and the result was a injury to the face or head (Rantaa left the game) a game misconduct must be imposed. There is a provision for a minor penalty, but you have to think that the fact that Rantaa was injured played a part in sticking with the major penalty and a game misconduct penalty.

In my opinion, the play was worth a minor penalty on Lomberg the way this rule is written, but I would like to see a note added for when goalie comes flying way out on an attacking player racing for the puck that some onus is out on the goaltender to “reasonably avoid” this contact as well. 

That’s it for this week. I’m sure we will have more to talk about next time as the controversial calls just never seem to end. Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

Follow me on Twitter at @BLuchanski