Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville wasn’t happy after an overturned goal contributed to his team losing 2-0 to the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks challenged a goal by Brandon Mashinter, saying Dennis Rasmussen bumped Sharks goalie Martin Jones. The referees agreed, and the goal was overturned. Quenneville was so cheesed with the call that after the game he got flustered in his post-game presser, and abruptly left.
“It’s gotten to a different level — I don’t know the rules anymore, or something’s changed,” Quenneville said. “I played a lot of hockey. I don’t know. I think everybody has an interpretation, what’s a good goal and what’s a bad goal. But I can’t believe it.”
League officials didn’t agree with his call, as they cited the exact rule which overturned the call.
After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee determined that Chicago’s Dennis Rasmussen interfered with Jones before the puck crossed the goal line. According to Rule 78.7, “The standard for overturning the call in the event of a ‘GOAL’ call on the ice is that the Referee, after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the Toronto Video Room, determines that the goal should have been disallowed due to ‘Interference on the Goalkeeper,’ as described in Rules 69.1 and 69.3.”
It’s unfortunate for Quenneville, a veteran coach, that new rules mean a goal which used to count is now no goal and cost his team the game, but that’s how the league operates now. If he doesn’t know the rules anymore, maybe it’s time he learn them, because the call was the right one under NHL rules.
