Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Goalie interference or not goalie interference? That is the question that continues to resurface in the NHL.
While some version of the NHL’s goalie interference rule dates back to the 1931-32 season, we are now in the ninth season where coaches can challenge a goal for it.
Per NHL rule 69, “Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease.”
However, it’s a ruling with a lot of grey area, which leads to inconsistency from one game to the next.
Just this past week, we saw two similar goalie interference calls end with different results.
Last Wednesday, the Washington Capitals thought they had taken a 3-1 lead early in the second period courtesy of John Carlson.
But, after review, it was determined that Capitals forward Nic Dowd impeded Maple Leafs’ goaltender Joseph Woll from making the save.
“Come on,” Carlson screamed at the officials after the review went against his team.
The Capitals ended up losing 4-3.
The NHL stated that “Video review determined Washington’s Nic Dowd impaired Joseph Woll’s ability to play his position in the crease prior to John Carlson’s goal.”
Then, on Saturday night, the New York Islanders challenged a late goal that gave the Seattle Kraken a 3-2 lead as they believed that Kraken left winger Brandon Tanev interfered with Ilya Sorokin off a point shot from Jamie Oleksiak:
The Islanders not only lost 3-2 but had to play two minutes of the final 3:13 shorthanded due to the rule that if a team’s challenge fails, they receive a two-minute penalty.
“(The explanation) was a funny one – he said it was not enough,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said post-game. “He went in by himself. He bumped into our goalie while the puck was coming. And apparently, there’s enough and not enough in our league.”
Roy added that he believed his team “got robbed.”
The NHL released a statement saying the goal counted because “video review confirmed that Brandon Tanev’s position in the crease did not impair Ilya Sorokin’s ability to play his position.”
The concerning part is the assumptions about what pucks can and cannot be saved. Most highlight-reel saves involve goalies stopping pucks they have no business stopping.
And with those saves and many routine saves, the difference between stopping the puck or hitting the back of the twine is an inch.
So, even if goaltenders aren’t interfered with by much, that slight movement of a blocker or a glove in the opposite direction of the puck could be everything.
Islanders captain Anders Lee used the ruling from the Toronto-Washington game when asked for his opinion on the ruling.
“With the calls that are going on in this league right now, it’s tough to even know,” Lee told The Hockey News. “I saw it the other night against Toronto and Washington. So many of these are up in the air. You might as well give it a shot, but it didn’t go for us tonight.”
There’s a simple way to fix goalie interference issues, and that’s by the NHL adopting USA Hockey’s goalie interference rule.
In USA Hockey, if an attacking player stands, holds their stick or skates through the crease at any time, provided the puck is in the attacking zone while the attacking team has possession of the puck and the goaltender is in contact with the crease, a faceoff shall be conducted at the nearest neutral zone faceoff spot. If an attacking player physically interferes with the goaltender, they get a minor penalty.
If an attacking player is physically interfered by the actions of a defending player and ends up in the crease, however, play continues.
Now, if the whistle isn’t blown and the puck goes in, the goal will only count if either (a) an attacking player is pushed into the crease or goaltender by a defending player, (b) the puck preceded the players into the crease or (c) if the goaltender is out of the goal crease area.
The NHL and NHLPA’s current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2026, and a list of topics will be addressed, with goaltender interference likely at the forefront. Whether both parties agree or not, USA Hockey’s rules for goalie interference could be the way to improve consistency on the calls.
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