Scouting The Refs Podcast

Stars' Benn suspended two games for cross-checking, Rank hits the links, five for stomping at the World Championship, double-dipping on Dallas, cup checking Tkachuk, a missed call on Ghost, and possible goaltender interference on the Panthers' series-winner vs. Carolina, and more! More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

This Week, Todd and Josh discuss refereeing the sixth longest NHL game of all time, review the Panthers' OT winner overturned for goaltender interference, explain the no call after a high stick bloodies Ekholm, check out a penalty box altercation in the OHL with a happy ending, and attempt to explain hybrid icing. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Retired NHL referee Don Koharski returns! Koho, currently a rules analyst on TNT's NHL broadcasts, breaks down the Pietrangelo slash and the Nurse instigator. He also share some ideas on improving officiating, what the playoffs are like for refs, standby officials, potential rule changes, the evolution of hockey officiating, and how refs can get out of the way on the ice! More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Paul Maurice gets on a first-name basis with the refs, Sam Bennett vs. a pair of Leafs in Bunting and Knies; getting away with some unusual missed calls; a pair of big, questionable hits in Eberle on Cogliano and Trouba on Meier; The Athletic's Sean McIndoe dives deep into the rulebook, and NHL agent Allan Walsh on officiating. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Getting officials and Player Safety on the same page, STR on ESPN, the high-stick that wasn't at Oilers/Kings, Makar's interference suspension, Foligno takes a knee... and some phantom penalties, Tkachuk and Lafferty fined for cross-checks, Maroon's boarding non-call, and more. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Retired NHL referee Dave Jackson - currently a rules analyst with ESPN - joins Todd and Josh to talk about the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including how officials are selected and notified, playoff ref pairings, the role of series supervisors, and big plays of the week: Dumba's hit on Pavelski, Bunting on Cernak, goaltender interference, and more! Follow Dave at @ESPNRefNHL. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

$5,000 can buy you a lot of things... like 50 seconds worth of ice time for Connor McDavid. For Winnipeg's Neal Pionk, it was the cost to deliver an illegal crosscheck. Anaheim's Strome spent that much for a not-so-dangerous water bottle toss. Also on this week's show, Todd and Josh break down a proposal from Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour's to overhaul officiating. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Join us for a bonus episode this week where we sit down with the North American Hockey League's Director of Officiating Keith Kaval and Manager of Officiating Kendall Hanley to discuss the NAHL's Next Shift Initiative. The Next Shift initiative is a collaborative effort between the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the USA Hockey Officiating Program to recruit, develop, and advance brand new on-ice officials. The initiative is being implemented to target former hockey players who have a passion for the game and incentivize them to take their next shift as an on-ice official. To learn more, read up on Next Shift at scoutingtherefs.com. Apply at NAHL.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Referee Marc Joannette hangs 'em up, OHL's Officiating Combine, McLeod boards Dumoulin with no call, Sanderson wrongfully convicted of the dreaded 'puck-over-glass', a possible missed Coach's Challenge on a potential missed stoppage -- or not at Jackets vs. Leafs; we'll break down the play. Trouba taken out, Rooney goes for a ride, Killorn and Fox fined, and checking in with The Athletic's latest Rules Court with some inventive - and possibly historical - rule revisions. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

That's what Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde wanted to know before he was ejected from the Red Wings' game against the Penguins. We break down the initial play, the Coach's Challenge for goaltender interference, the rule, the announcement, and the fallout from the play. Also the net goes off but the puck goes in on Marchenko's goal, shootout specifics, Habs' Hoffman weighs in after Lizotte gets suspended for cross-checking, McDavid's McBoarding, retired referee Brad Meier's debut as the NHL's latest TV rules analyst, and the return of the ref-cam - and how the NHL can use it to help grow the game. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

It's a new NHL record! Four goals overturned by Coach's Challenges at Oilers/Sharks, two incidents in Habs/Bruins as Greer cross-checks Hoffman in the face and Marchand goes after Pitlick for a hit on Bergeron, Sergachev dumps Anderson into the goal frame, Oshie gets an instigator avenging a legal hit by Dumba, Hedman takes out Chychrun, Acciari boards Nelson with no call, the difference on scoring a goal or playing the puck with a high stick, and how the NHL sets standards across games and across officials, Russian ref Konstantin Olenin gets a personal overhead view, and where's our puck tracking?! (Apologies to Mike Smith's butt goal from 2013) More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Binnington's blocker blast results in a two game suspension, Tavares and Suzuki fined, Sens forget to play to the (delayed) whistle on an icing, GMs considering more penalty reviews and stricter penalties for fights after clean hits, no fighting in the Q, officiating feedback and accountability, and looking back at the chicken ref... More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Some stickwork below the belt gets the Flyers' Deangelo suspended, Sharks' Quinn ejected and fined for blasting referee Gord Dwyer, Watson hits Motte, Karlsson and Dunn throwing fits and smashing sticks, an unfortunate OT offside for the Wild, and a controversial kick... or not. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Is it a spear or a slash? Kuznetsov with some stickwork, McCauley takes out Marchand, Rangers' Miller suspended for spitting, fines fly after Stars/Canucks, Domi loses some teeth, Foegele loses a goal to a quick whistle, Bob takes a trip, a quick look at refs' schedules, and congrats to the officials selected for Hockey Week Across America! More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Player Safety has had it easy with no suspensions in nearly two months... until this week. Tampa's Cernak gets an elbow up, Lyubushkin gets away with a hook that was sold hard by Stamkos, Kadri gets tossed, Larkin fined for crosschecking, Chicago's Patrick Kane gets clock blocked, and we look at some possible future tech fixes for the NHL. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

It's all about knocking things off this week, whether it's Jamie Benn and Brad Marchand battling in front of the net or the goal frame literally getting knocked off its pegs. We saw displaced nets result in a disallowed goal and a penalty shot this week. Plus, a first for Sidney Crosby as he gets tossed for complaining to the refs, and a near-offside on an overtime Habs winner. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

The New York Rangers and Calgary Flames take us out of the All-Star Break and back in to the regular season with a bang! Or two or three -- all legal. The Flames kick one in, ref Kelly Sutherland gives a masterclass in penalty announcements, Benn goes bucketless, and no awarded goal for Rangers on an empty net. Plus, Pens' Carter takes out Avs' Makar with a hit to the head. No penalty, no fine, no suspension. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

The All-Star Break is here, which means some time off for the stripes! Koharski (not that one) retires, Zegras picks up a dime for some choice words, Leafs' Keefe butts heads with McCauley again, and a a new take on mic'd up refs in the NCAA -- will the NHL follow suit? More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

A midseason refresher on some rules, including a high stick from Montreal's Matheson, a goal from Arizona's Schmaltz on a displaced net, and a missed interference call on a sneaky Malkin stick push, along with a fine to the Coyotes' Valimaki, and an officiating injury update. Todd and Josh also review a penalty call on the Jets' Schmidt that appeared to come via review -- and what exactly caused all that confusion, and how the NHL and the refs can fix it. C'mon, stripes, get on the mic! More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!

Penny for your thoughts? Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is out $25,000 for his. Pittsburgh's Mike Sullivan also vents his frustrations, Ovi hammers Pageau, Gudas called for a charge, Matheson's 'reverse hit' goes unpenalized, a Panthers goal stands despite Tkachuk in the crease, and a Kane vs. Kucherov battle draws a mysterious review and injures a linesman at Lightning vs. Oilers. Plus, Todd and Josh revisit the debate about officials taking accountability and facing media availability. More on these plays, including video clips and rule breakdowns, at scoutingtherefs.com Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!