NHL Officials Prove Once Again They Are Making Up the Rules as They Go Along After Bizarre Penalty Review

As bad as officiating has been in the NHL, this might be one of the worst cases of making up the rules as you go along in the league's history. This is the kind of thing the NHL really needs to figure out.

In the third period of last night's game between the Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets, defenceman Ian Cole had a major penalty called on him for a hit from behind. That triggers an automatic review from the officials to ensure they got the call right. They have three options, according to the rules: Uphold the initial call, reduce it to two minutes, or rescind the penalty completely. Apparently the officials wanted to confuse everyone as the review resulted in the confirmation of the major for Cole, but also a major penalty and a game misconduct for Tyler Myers for elbowing.


Again, penalty reviews are specific. There are only three options, and none of them includes the ability to penalize someone else on the play.




Even Sportsnet announcer John Shorthouse couldn't believe what had happened, saying live on air "I'm losing brain cells by the moment."


Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reached out to the NHL after the game for an explanation on the call and the deviation from the NHL rulebook. He was told the official stance from the league was "just get the call right." There was no mention of whether what the officials did was right or wrong.

No one is denying the elbow from Myers. It's pretty plain. But the NHL has once again made itself look like a joke for not knowing and/or following the rules as written in its own rulebook. It's a horrible decision that needs to be truly addressed by the NHL, and the officials themselves.