Paul Stewart: Major Learning -- and Fun -- in the Minor Leagues

Great stories. Really nice to hear the stories about the officials and teams working together to help the business side of things and keep the teams going.

Paul,

Maybe you can help me with something I don't understand.
On Saturday's game featuring Philadelphia and Dallas, Brayden Schenn had his stick slashed out of his hands by a Dallas player. The referees arm went up and play was blown dead.

After a discussion by the officials, the linesman informed the referee that the play was blown dead because the play had gone offside immediately before the slash occurred. Therefore, no penalty was called on the play.

This explanation baffles me. If you commit a penalty, whether during play or during a stoppage, shouldn't a player be penalized? To what degree does this extend? If play is blown dead, does that give a player free reign to sucker punch a player or slash him in the face? Obviously, these are extreme examples; however, if you slash a player's stick during a stoppage, wouldn't that count as at least unsportsmanlike conduct?

I've got a question I'm hoping you could clarify as well.

In the Kings v Bruins game yesterday, when the Bruins iced the puck late in the game, Rask knocked the net over and Julien sent a ton of Bruins players out on the ice. The refs spent the next couple minutes talking to the Bruins bench figuring out what players need to be out there, so the B's essentially got an extended time-out for their tired players. Could they have called them for delay of game for all that, or am I missing something?

Paul,

Maybe you can help me with something I don't understand.
On Saturday's game featuring Philadelphia and Dallas, Brayden Schenn had his stick slashed out of his hands by a Dallas player. The referees arm went up and play was blown dead.

After a discussion by the officials, the linesman informed the referee that the play was blown dead because the play had gone offside immediately before the slash occurred. Therefore, no penalty was called on the play.

This explanation baffles me. If you commit a penalty, whether during play or during a stoppage, shouldn't a player be penalized? To what degree does this extend? If play is blown dead, does that give a player free reign to sucker punch a player or slash him in the face? Obviously, these are extreme examples; however, if you slash a player's stick during a stoppage, wouldn't that count as at least unsportsmanlike conduct?
- jmatchett383

you got your answer when it happened no?

I've got a question I'm hoping you could clarify as well.

In the Kings v Bruins game yesterday, when the Bruins iced the puck late in the game, Rask knocked the net over and Julien sent a ton of Bruins players out on the ice. The refs spent the next couple minutes talking to the Bruins bench figuring out what players need to be out there, so the B's essentially got an extended time-out for their tired players. Could they have called them for delay of game for all that, or am I missing something?
- PancakesPenner

guess not

Great stories. Really nice to hear the stories about the officials and teams working together to help the business side of things and keep the teams going.
- phillydiehard

Agreed.


Thanks for sharing.