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Do you know a high stick when you see it? Don't answer too fast.
Under the NHL Rulebook, different levels of stick elevation may be classified as a high stick. It all depends on the situation. Within the Rulebook, there are three different standards for what is considered a high stick.
In terms of whether a high-sticking penalty is to be called, the standard is the height of the shoulders of the opposing player who is struck by the offending player's stick (Rule 60.1). In a previous blog I discussed the interpretation of Rules 60.1 to 60.4.
Today, I will discuss the standards under Rules 60.5 and 80.1 in the NHL Rulebook.
In terms of whether a puck is legally batted into the net on a would-be goal, the standard is the height of the crossbar and it depends on where the stick makes contact with the puck (Rule 60.5). In terms of determining whether there should be a stoppage and a faceoff for an airborne puck being played by a high stick and retained by the offending team, the standard is the height of the shoulders of the player who played the puck (Rule 80.1).
Sometimes, these rules can overlap.
In the third period of Tuesday's game in Philadelphia between the Chicago Blackhawks and Flyers, there was an interesting play in the third period that resulted in a disallowed goal. Philadelphia's Vincent Lecavalier knocked puck out of the air in the offensive zone. His stick was definitely above the height of the crossbar but may or may not have been above his shoulders. It was tough to tell from the replays, so I will defer to the ruling of the on-ice officials. The puck did not go over the goal line, but teammate Brayden Schenn immediately tapped the puck into the net.
The goal was immediately disallowed. Our friends in the Chinese Buffet... um, War Room... in Toronto said the play was not reviewable. Several people PMed me to ask if the right call was made on the ice and whether the play should have been reviewable.
To answer the first question, it was a close judgment call as to where Lecavalier's stick was relative to his shoulders when he played the puck. The call was immediate and emphatic that he played it with a high stick under the standard of Rule 80.1.
What happened next? The next player to touch the puck was a Philadelphia player (Schenn). Play was whistled dead -- correctly -- at this point. Nothing else that happened thereafter mattered. It was a moot point whether Schenn shot the loose puck into the net or suddenly broke into an impromptu Irish Jig as a belated St. Paddy's Day celebration.
Now, what would have happened if a Chicago skater had touched the puck after Lecavalier played it and then Schenn poked it free and scored? In that event, the Lecavalier high stick would have been washed out and play would have continued. It would have been a goal.
There is also a sequencing issue here. Had Lecavalier batted the puck into the net with no one else touching it, it would have been no goal. However, it WOULD have been reviewable under the replay protocols. A would-be goal scored as a result of a potential high stick is reviewable. A high-sticked puck played directly to a teammate is NOT reviewable, even if a would-be goal results a split second later.
To sum up everything, there are not only several different standards to consider for what is or isn't a high stick but the order in which things occur on a play can also determine which standard should apply. Still think it's easy to be a referee?
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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 is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
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.
Stewart is currently working with a co-author on an autobiography.