One of the National Hockey League's top goaltenders is very unhappy about the treatment he received from the National Hockey League's officials last week and it now sounds like there may be serious ramifications as a result.
On Saturday, veteran Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck spoke to the media for the first time following a controversial incident on Friday night at the conclusion of a game against the Dallas Stars. In the closing moments of the game, Hellebuyck's helmet would come dislodged after Stars captain Jamie Benn was shoved into Hellebuyck by Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey. Hellebuyck would quickly hit the ice and cover his head in order to protect himself from any possible danger, but the officials would allow the play to continue.
Here's a look at the play:
Hellebuyck made it clear on Saturday that he felt the league had put him at unnecessary risk of injury.
"I'm glad that I didn't have to speak last night because I know a lot more now than I did then and I was a lot more emotional," admitted Hellebuyck. "When a goalie's mask is knocked off or comes off, if it's not an immediate puck going in getting tapped in, that whistle needs to be blown. Just like a player who loses his helmet has to go to the bench... the same thing should apply for a goalie."
Hellebuyck also objected to the idea that there was an immediate scoring chance after his helmet was knocked off, calling the officials out for their error.
"That play needs to be blown dead, there was no immediate scoring chance after that, there was two passes made, and a shot from the point. Those refs made a mistake," said Hellebuyck.
The Jets star goaltender appeared most frustrated though at the fact that his safety had been put in jeopardy.
"They put me in danger, there's a lot of bad things that could have come from that," added the veteran netminder.
Hellebuyck feels there needs to be a rule change, both for the safety of goaltenders on the ice and also to make the decision easier on the officials both on the ice and in the review booth.
"Plain and simple, when a goalie's mask gets knocked off the play needs to be blown dead," concluded Hellebuyck.
During Saturday night's NHL broadcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman made it clear he believes this could lead to changes down the line.
"I do believe you're going to see something come out of this," said Friedman of the incident involving Hellebuyck.
"I do think there are gonna be a lot of conversations about this... I do think you could see a directive pretty soon to tell the officials be more aggressive in calling this."
You can hear Hellebuyck's full comments on the matter in the video below:
