Follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulStewart22
First and foremost, it was good to hear that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth is OK and has been released from the hospital after collapsing in his crease during a stoppage of play in the first period of Philadelphia's game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. It was a scary sight, but all is seemingly well.
Apparently, both Neuvirth and fellow goaltender Steve Mason (who was sent home earlier in the day) were significantly under the weather on Saturday. In place of Mason, Philadelphia recalled goaltender Anthony Stolarz from their American Hockey League farm team. The player did not arrive in time for the pregame warmup but was on the bench by the opening faceoff.
The Flyers also had an emergency goaltender in the building: local amateur Eric Semborski. Earlier this season, when Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy, the team did not have enough time to recall a backup goaltender for Scott Darling in an afternoon game in Philadelphia. As a result, the Blackhawks used Semborski as their backup, signing him to a one-day (unpaid) amateur tryout arrangement.
On that day, Semborski was fully eligible to play in the game -- on the same basis as any "standard" backup goaltender -- if Chicago coach Joel Quenneville had elected to send him into the net in place of Darling. Prior to the game, both coaches submit a game roster to the official scorer. As long as the player is eligible under league rules (i.e., he is not under an active NHL suspension and has a valid contract or amateur tryout paperwork completed), the player may appear in the game. Even if the player doesn't have a uniform number assigned yet, it's OK as long as his name is on the list as a position player or one of the two goaltenders each team is allowed to dress per game.
This past Saturday, however, Semborski was not on the Philadelphia roster for the game: Neuvirth and Stolarz were. However, in the event of a dire emergency in which BOTH goalies become incapacitated, the team is allowed either to use a skater as a goalie or to send an eligible designated emergency replacement goaltender into the crease for the rest of the game. If Stolarz, like Neuvirth, had gotten injured and was unable to continue, the Flyers could have used Semborski to finish the game.
What they could NOT do is what Flyers coach Dave Hakstol attempted to do in the final half minute of the game: take an uninjured Stolarz out and send in Semborski. I have seen ignorant comments in the media that the "refs nixed Semborski". No, they didn't. The rules for player eligibility nixed Semborski.
I received a PM question as to what would have happened, theoretically, if Semborski had entered the game as an ineligible player. Well, the NHL Rule Book covers that possibility as well (See Rule 5.3). The most important to know from a fan standpoint is that Semborski's time in the net would NOT have counted for official stat keeping purposes and his team would not have been credited with any goals they scored during that portion of the game until the next stoppage (in this case, the final buzzer). There would not have been a specific further penalty assessed such as delay of game, as noted per the related Rule Book section.
From an official's standpoint, however, allowing Semborski to play would have created a big headache and gotten you in hot water with your supervisor and the league office. You'd also have been required to file a written report to the commissioner's office, explaining how and why an ineligible player was allowed to enter the game.
In this case, though, the officials knew the rule even if Hakstol did not. Semborski was escorted right back off the ice before play resumed. The Philadelphia native was, however, allowed to have his "Rudy" moment as he skated out to the crease in his hometown arena and got to wave to the crowd as he left. Even the Devils didn't mind the delay.
In the PM I received, the reader asked why Semborski was not allowed to sit on the bench while Stolarz played. He stood in the tunnel instead. This, however, was initiated by the Flyers, not the officials. Under Rule 5.3, "this goalkeeper is eligible to sit on the player’s bench, in uniform. In the event that the two regular goalkeepers are injured or incapacitated in quick succession, the third goalkeeper shall be provided with a reasonable amount of time to get dressed, in addition to a two-minute warm-up (except when he enters the game to defend against a penalty shot). If, however, the third goalkeeper is dressed and on the bench when the second goalkeeper becomes incapacitated, the third goalkeeper shall enter the game immediately and no warm-up is permitted."
To review: Semborski's status for the game he dressed for as a Blackhawk was the same under the Rule Book as for any backup goalie. For Saturday's game, he was subject to Rule 5.3 as an ineligible goaltender.
Hope that answers the question. Keep 'em coming, and we will get to them as is timely to do so.
*********
Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart serves as director of hockey officiating for the ECAC.