Episode 231 / January 25, 2025:

It's a jam-packed week with tons of National Hockey League action.

We're also joined by the North American Hockey League (NAHL)'s Keith Kaval and Kendall Hanley to discuss their upcoming NAHL Officiating Exposure Camps to help develop referees and linespersons. You've still got timt to sign up and join them - more info at NAHL.com or check out our post at scoutingtherefs.com.

A pair of cross-checks to the head result in a pair of three-game suspensions at Oilers vs. Canucks, with Connor McDavid and Tyler Myers both sitting out. We break down the penalties and revisit McDavid’s comments on consistency in officiating. The Predators’ Cole Smith ejected for a hit to the head of the Stars’ Ty Dellandrea that was upheld after ref review.

Stick shenanigans as the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews gets whistled for playing with a goal stick, while Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins picks up a minor for playing with Matthews’ stick. A few days prior, Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick got away with one when he attempted to play with Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky’s stick upside down.

Rule 63 is in play as nachos cleared the glass and entered the attacking zone without a whistle, leading to an Oilers goal against the Capitals.

We’ve also got some choking in Boston thanks to Brad Marchand, that somehow avoided a penalty and even a fine.

In National Hockey League zebra action, we’ve got linesman Jonny Murray injured at Jets vs. Avalanche and referee Kyle Rehman with the fighting penalty call of the year from Preds vs. Sharks. Let's chuck some knucks!

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

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 229 / January 11, 2025:

A pair of milestone games for refs Eric Furlatt and Chris Rooney, Leafs’ Domi and Senators’ Cousins, Ducks’ Helleson tossed - and nothing more - for kneeing Flames’ Zary. Was it the right call?

Bolts/Bruins get spicy with a Lilleberg cross-check to the face, Bedard kicks it (but does he really?), the ref-cam returns, Quinn Hughes is the man-in-the-box for way longer than expected, and forget missed calls - we’ve got a dropped phone!

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

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 228 / January 4, 2025:

So much for New Year’s Resolutions! The NHL Department of Player Safety has been busy handing out fines to Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (high-sticking), Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Maroon (elbowing), and Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett (roughing), along with a three-game suspension to Nashville Predators’ Zachary L’Heureux for slew-footing. Finally, the refs and Player Safety called a slew-foot a slew-foot!

New York Rangers’ winger Matt Rempe is still suspended, having served six of his eight-game suspension for boarding Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen.

We’ve got a bunch of player ejections this week. Boston Bruins’ Oliver Wahlstrom is tossed for boarding Washington Capitals Martin Fehervary, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov gets five and a game for a knee-on-knee hit on Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk. Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils also gets the boot for kneeing Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas. We’ve even got some knee-on-knee action from Team Canada’s Cole Beaudoin at the World Juniors.

Vancouver Canucks’ Pius Suter avoids a match penalty - and any supplemental discipline - for an attempted kick against Calgary Flames defenseman Joel Hanley.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar blasts the refs after they let play continue following an injury to goaltender Scott Wedgewood… but that’s what the rulebook requires.

------------------

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

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.