Here’s the thing. Nowadays we see hockey players, goalies, coming up with new ways to exploit rules to try and win games. When it happens in the AHL we all say “Well he shouldn’t do that, but hey that was inventive.” But when it happens at the NHL level it’s different.
So last night the Rangers had a goal waved off when Cam Ward’s mask malfunctioned? Was his view obstructed by a jarred mask or did he just rip off his own mask knowing a play would be blown dead since he was under siege.
After watching countless replays I think he did this to get the whistle. Now when Toronto reviews this play we fall into the NHL officiating’s rabbit hole. A mask off mean’s a whistle but only when a scoring play isn’t eminent. So I looked at all of the possible penalties a goalie can incur and low and behold one removing his own mask isn’t listed!
Here are the only possible goalie penalties
here
So was this a time to set a precedent? I think so since it was a goal that was waved off and being reviewed. I knew when it came back from Toronto that the call would stand but I also knew that Ward should have at the least, received a delay of game penalty, and at worst, the Rangers be awarded a goal.
Now do I think Ward should be fined for this? I do. It was a bush league play. The last bush league play I could remember involved Sean Avery.
And the league acted on it immediately. Again, this has been a bad year for officiating and most media members don’t even consult the rule book anymore because now with video replay reviewing more and more in-game action, it’s more fluid than it’s ever been.
Officials have a hard job but it was easy to see the goalie’s intent in this case. I happened to be in a New York City bar when this occurred and at first viewers agreed with the call until they saw the iso cam, on Cam, that showed his little league maneuver.
If he doesn’t get fined after the fact we’ll see it again. My worry is it happens in the playoffs or the Stanley Cup when the stakes are much higher. There’s one thing to talk about being a “smart” player or a little “gamesmanship” has been employed but this was flat out cheating, and he was caught on tape, and he got away with it. Bad job.
The Rangers won the game so it won’t be a big deal. A lot of Ranger fans feel the league makes “bad” calls against their team, like in the 2014 Stanley Cup. Well this call is now placed on that list. The bad Cup call got an NHL apology months and months later. Will this get the same kind of treatment or will it just be ignored until it happens again?
Check out my new Ranger book. A great holiday gift! Ask me for signed copies!
here. 
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»