Thomas Hickey is at the center of an officiating controversy after scoring a goal in the shootout on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Hickey’s effort appeared to be stopped by Anaheim goaltender Jonathan Bernier, but Hickey used his stick to push on Bernier’s pad which resulted in the puck going in.
The play was reviewed and the goal stood, but the Ducks were furious.
You can clearly see that contact is made with Hickey’s stick on Bernier’s pad. The Ducks feel that Hickey pushed the pad and the puck over the line, but upon review, the officials upheld the decision on the ice that it was a good goal.
Bernier believes he was pushed into the goal.
“I think it was pretty obvious. I made the save, my skate was going right to the post where I wanted it to be, and he pushed me in.”
Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle called out the goal and said he was surprised by the decision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1xaQEV129c
NHL officiating is routinely scrutinized, but this looks like a glaring mistake. There is clear contact which appears to influence Bernier’s movement back into the goal. The review ruled in favor of a good goal, but that review seemed to only look at whether the puck went in and didn’t analyze the contact from Hickey.
There’s nothing the Ducks can do about it now, but it’s clear that the league’s officials needs to brush up on the rules when it comes to contact being made with the goalie.
