NHL's goalie interference rule rubs fans, players the wrong way

Connor McDavid's goalie interference call during Thursday night's game against the Calgary Flames was a head scratcher.

It left players and fans wondering what exactly constitutes goalie interference in the NHL.

In McDavid fashion, the Oilers captain came in with blazing speed at Flames goalie David Rittich in the overtime frame. He avoided the goalie except for brushing Rittich's blocker. Ryan Strome pounced on the rebound and scored what everyone thought was the overtime winner.

But the NHL situation room disallowed the goal.

Watching from the press box was former University of Alberta standout goalie Kurtis Mucha, along with several Oilers assistant coaches. Mucha is the Oilers emergency backup goalie. He was there, as he is every night, in case something happens to starter Cam Talbot and regular back up Al Montoya.

Mucha was in the elevator on the way down to the Oilers dressing room when they heard the play was under review.

"I think that play with Connor last night should have been a goal," said Mucha, who like thousands of fans was gobsmacked the officials reversed the call on the ice.

"He was going to the net hard, got a shot off and did a good job of trying to get out of the way, caught his blocker but it didn't take him completely out of the play. And [Rittich] still had a chance to make the save. I don't think that truly impacted the play."

Officials in the NHL's situation room in Toronto saw it otherwise. 

Edmonton ended up winning in the shootout, but the team and its fans have seen similar calls that cost them the game.

In Game 5 of the 2017 playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks, forward Ryan Kesler had his hand on Talbot's leg in the crease. In that case, the NHL situation room didn't think the play was interference and overturned the Oilers' challenge. 

The Ducks won the game in double overtime, and later took series.

"They need to find a way to make that (goalie interference) a little more definite, so everyone has a clear understanding of what's happening," Mucha said.  

"Last year in the playoffs, that changed the series. The Oilers could have gone on, and who knows what would have happened, right?

"When it happens in the regular season that's important, but look at what the playoff implications are. The league and the general managers have to find a way where everyone is on the same common ground and it is black and white. That's the only way everyone is going to be happy."

'The consistency is a little off'

Even young players who are learning the position, such as goalies at Vimy Ridge Hockey Academy, say what happens at the professional level influences all players.  

"The consistency is a little off," said 13-year-old goalie Aiden Kruhlak.

"You see some plays where they're on top of the goalie and it's a goal, and then you lightly almost don't put your skate against his arm and that counts as a no goal."

Instructors like Mucha teach young goalies that their position comes with contact and to expect it, despite the confusing rule and controversy at the professional level.  

"I always tell the goalies, the paint in the crease is your area, and own it. And don't let people come in there, that's where we play a lot of our game."

But like Thursday night's game, sometimes a player will come through and there is bound to be contact. 

"Sometimes there's just a hockey play, it becomes a compete situation, who's going to battle and who's going to compete for that ice a little more.

"Like I said, it's a contact game, physical game, bumps and pushes and stick work is going to happen. And I don't have a problem with a bunch of that stuff. It's if you're getting run over like back in the '80s, fair enough, I get that stuff. It's just that some of the little stuff is getting a little chintzy right now."