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One of the many confusing and convoluted aspects of the NHL's goaltender interference rules as pertain to incidental contact with the goalie in the crease is what the ruling should be in the event an attacking player is pushed by a defender and contact with the goalie ensues.
Not every push is created equal. The rules specify that it is still the responsibility of the attacking player to make a "reasonable effort" to avoid contact with the goalie.
In spirit, this requirement is intended to prevent an offensive player from feeling a little bump and using it as an excuse to careen into the netminder. When this happens, it's usually a pretty easy call to make, although sometimes a slight bump can send someone off balance.
The problems arise in the wide gray area in between a defender directly and heaviliy pushing the offensive player into the goalie and the attacker using the bump as an excuse to initiate incidental contact with the goalie and create an open scoring chance. Generally speaking, the more minor the incidental contact -- and the better the chance the goalie had to make a save despite the light contact -- the more likely the push by the defender is likely to be cited as the reason for a good goal.
The real issue lies in how nebulous the terms "reasonable effort" and "incidental contact" are in borderline situations: what's reasonable to one person making a judgment call might not pass muster with someone else. We have already seen quite a few of these situations result in coach's challenges; some of which end up with widespread disagreement over the final ruling.
In my opinion, we need to do a better job at defining the open-ended terminology that leads to so many disputes.
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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 at both the Division 1 and Division 3 levels.
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.