Episode 228 / January 4, 2025:

So much for New Year’s Resolutions! The NHL Department of Player Safety has been busy handing out fines to Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (high-sticking), Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Maroon (elbowing), and Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett (roughing), along with a three-game suspension to Nashville Predators’ Zachary L’Heureux for slew-footing. Finally, the refs and Player Safety called a slew-foot a slew-foot!

New York Rangers’ winger Matt Rempe is still suspended, having served six of his eight-game suspension for boarding Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen. 

We’ve got a bunch of player ejections this week. Boston Bruins’ Oliver Wahlstrom is tossed for boarding Washington Capitals Martin Fehervary,  Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov gets five and a game for a knee-on-knee hit on Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk. Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils also gets the boot for kneeing Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas. We’ve even got some knee-on-knee action from Team Canada’s Cole Beaudoin at the World Juniors. 

Vancouver Canucks’ Pius Suter avoids a match penalty - and any supplemental discipline - for an attempted kick against Calgary Flames defenseman Joel Hanley. 

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar blasts the refs after they let play continue following an injury to goaltender Scott Wedgewood… but that’s what the rulebook requires.

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The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We'll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was - or wasn't - handed out.

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs.

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls. 

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