Tavares convinced the NHL to scold its officials!

Last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs were victims of two controversial net off-the-moorings plays and star player John Tavares made headlines when he called out the referees and the NHL, calling for a change. 

“I didn’t see what happened there with the net coming off, but if that’s on purpose by them, especially in the last couple mins in big situations, I would love to see that being a challenge at some point. You have that kind of pressure and that’s kind of a free out …” he commented after the controversial loss at the hands of the Blackhawks last Monday. 

The NHL’s rule book states in the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the referee may award a goal.

Elliott Friedman wrote about it in his latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet and it seems like the NHL listened: 

“Last week, there were two controversial net off-the-moorings plays involving Toronto. The first was Collin Delia on Wednesday and the second was Brian Elliott on Friday. Because it involved the Maple Leafs, it was mass hysteria, but there’s no way the NHL wants this to be a problem during the playoffs.

“The league sent out a memo on Saturday asking teams and officials to be vigilant about making sure the net is set properly, that the holes are dug correctly and snow is not allowed to accumulate to the point of being a problem. We can’t go back to longer pegs. If you’re old enough to remember Mark Howe’s injury, or you saw Mathew Barzal go hard into the net versus Minnesota on Sunday, you know that’s an awful idea. But, goalies are bigger and stronger than ever, and they are using the net to push off more than ever. There’s going to be some brainstorming.’

We wonder if the NHL would have been as proactive if it wasn’t a star like Tavares that had voiced the issue. However, it seems now that the Leafs won’t get robbed any more goals this season.