Broken Wings » Brazil play Croatia confident that this tournament --

Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hey Kerry, Can you please explain why Phil Kessel was awarded a penalty shot during Leafs/Bruins game on New Years Eve? Clearly he was fouled from behind in the attacking zone but I always thought that a penalty shot was awarded only if the player being fouled was denied a scoring opportunity. Kessel clearly regained his balance after being hooked and was able to get good clean shot away. Shouldnt the offending player have been assessed a minor penalty for hooking? As a minor hockey ref I enjoy your insight and take on rule interpretation. Thanks. Pat Baskette Ingersoll, ON Pat: You are correct by noting that when a player is fouled from behind the intention of the rule is to restore a reasonable scoring opportunity which has been lost. The rule also goes on to say that if, however, the player fouled is able to recover and obtain a reasonable scoring opportunity (or a teammate is able to gain a reasonable scoring opportunity), no penalty shot should be awarded but the appropriate penalty should be signaled and assessed if a goal is not scored on the play. It is purely a judgment call by the referee as to the quality of any subsequent scoring opportunity that the player fouled is able to regain. On this play, the referee applied rule 24.8 (iii) which states, The fact that he (Phil Kessel) got a shot off does not automatically eliminate this play from the penalty shot consideration criteria. If the foul was from behind and he was denied a more reasonable scoring opportunity due to the foul, then the penalty shot should be awarded. I doubt anyone would deny that Kessel was able to get a very good shot away after being hooked by big Zdeno Chara. The shot even forced Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask to make an excellent save. What the referee determined however, was that the strong hook to the right arm of Kessel by Chara twisted the Leafs attacker sufficiently and forced Kessel to cut hard to the right side as he set up and prepared to shoot the puck. From the referees perspective the forced location Kessel was placed in created a much less desirable shooting angle than had he not been hooked. As we review the play, Kessel maintained full possession and control throughout with a left hand push of the puck just off the left side of center. Kessel utilized a right arm swung with a forward to back motion in an effort to maintain full throttle speed and to keep the safest possible distance ahead of Chara. The hard tug on the right arm of Kessel did alter and twist his body posture. Kessel then executed a skate cross-over to maintain control and establish a shooting position. We could speculate as to whether Kessel intended to move to that shooting location but the fact remains that the hook did altered his posture and path to the net. In the referees judgment a less reasonable scoring opportunity resulted. Penalty shots are an exciting part of the game and provide excellent drama. The NHL has relaxed the criteria under which a penalty shot is awarded over the years and as such encourage the refs to call them. I can understand the referees decision to restore a more reasonable scoring opportunity to Kessel as a result of the hook. My take is similar to yours Pat and a minor penalty for hooking would have sufficed given the fact that Kessel did not lose control of the puck and made a great shot. We might even get some agreement from Leafs coach Randy Carlyle after Rask stoned Kessel with a solid poke-check and thwarted the penalty shot. Either way - its a judgment call, Pat. Wholesale Air Jordan 5 . 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