Stick Taps and Challenging Challenges

Scouting The Refs Podcast

On this week's #RefsPodcast:

• Stripes getting set for the Stadium Series... will we get a Michigan or Ohio official in the house?
• Referee Justin Kea stays in the game after getting his 'bells rung' after a clearing attempt catches him in the undercarriage.
• Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Hartman has his suspension reduced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, serving two fewer games and retaining nearly $100k in salary as a result of his appeal.
• Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras gets three games for headhunting despite no penalty call in the game.
• It’s a tale of two goal sticks on dueling goaltender interference calls. We get a Seattle Kraken goal restored after a challenge that Blues defenseman Colton Parayko bumped Jordan Binnington’s stick, along with another lost stick after Florida Panthers’ Jonah Gadjovich swats away the stick of Nashville Predators goaltender Jusse Saros for no goal.
• We also take a look at a high stick from Los Angeles Kings forward Warren Foegele. Fans were up in arms asking why the Vancouver Canucks challenged for goaltender interference instead of challenging the high stick.

There’s a very simple reason… on this week’s #RefsPodcast.

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Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - [email protected]

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! #RefsPodcast

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.