That's a rap on the 2025-26 NHL season, as the Carolina Hurricanes claimed the Stanley Cup in Game 6 over the Vegas Golden Knights. Wrapping up:

• Referee Golfin' Garrett Rank takes a tumble
• Canes' Jason Blake gets called for tripping. A marginal tripping call? In the Stanley Cup Final?
• Tomas Hertl pushes the puck to win a draw. "You can't do that," says Rule 67 (and liney Trent Knorr, who saw it all happen)
• An AHL penalty shot call sends the announcer into a frenzy. Listen to him complain about it... and then undermine his argument!
• Congrats to the ECHL's Kelly Cup Champion Florida Everblades, who won - and got dumped.
• and what topics might be on tap at the upcoming NHL Board of Governors' meetings? Rule changes, perhaps?

...

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The NHL Stanley Cup Final is in full swing! This week:

• No call on Golden Knights' Eichel for dumping Canes' Staal
• Vegas's Stone sticks Chatfield up high, prompting an official discussion and a video review. How did that work, exactly?
• Game 3 has two challenges against Vegas - one for offside against Howden, one for goaltender interference on Barbashev
• A Cup Final Penalty Shot courtesy Wes McCauley! Breaking down the call and the criteria
• Not-quite-buzzer-beater by McNabb
• Carolina's Stankoven gets crosschecked by Dowd. It was a minor penalty - should it have been more?
• Puck over glass! Puck over glass! Puck over glass! When was the last time a team was whistled for three puck-over-glass penalties?!
• Breaking down the ref pairs and the stats in the Cup Final. Which pair favors one team over the other... and why?
• What do we need to do to get the NHL to hand out some hardware to the officials? A Golden Whistle would be nice, but we have some other trophy suggestions.

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We've made it through the NHL Conference Finals and Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with plenty to discuss on this week’s Refs Podcast:

• The NHL's Final Four refs and linespersons
• Ghislain Hebert gets a new gig up north
• The ref cam is back!
• Referee Chris Rooney kicks off the Cup Final with some words of encouragement
• Icing, icing, baby... or is it? Breaking down a controversial icing call that led to a Carolina Hurricanes goal in Game 1.
• Why the whistle? Did the referee lose sight of the puck? Or was it goaltender interference? Logic says the latter as Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella challenged -- losing both the challenge and the game. What happened on that play?
• And, hang on, did we get an official post-game comment from the NHL Officiating team on that call!?

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We’ve got a jam-packed week of Stanley Cup action to run down on this week’s Refs Podcast:

• Canadiens’ Dobson delivers a high-stick from his knees
• A clear spear from Montreal’s Texier on Canes’ Miller gets called a slash. What?
• Carolina’s Hall hits Hutson
• Dorofeyev’s Golden Knights goal gets disallowed for being batted in with a glove… or was it deflected by a high stick above the crossbar? Or both?
• Canadiens’ Caufield goes offside… but the faceoff goes way back
• Was that a missed call for Too Many Men against Montreal in overtime?
• Vegas’ Hertl takes out the Canes’ Necas on what should’ve been a penalty
• At the Memorial Cup, Chicoutimi Sagueneens’ Jordan Tourigny gets ejected - and suspended - for stomping the skate of Kitchener’s Christian Humphreys.

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On this week's playoff-penalty-filled episode:

• Six for McAvoy's lumberjack attack
• Habs' Xhekaj pays up for punch
• Avalanche's Manson puts his butt-end where it doesn't belong, gets a fine and a penalty -- but should've gotten more
• Sabres' Malenstyn steamrolls Habs' Dobes
• A double-goal-review at Canadiens vs. Sabres that goes from no goal, to goal, and back to no goal...
• Golden Knights' McNabb plows Ducks' Poehling into the boards for the rare interference major penalty
• Minnesota's McCarron bats it in. Nice try, Mike.
• Vegas goaltender Carter Hart throws off his helmet to get a stoppage after losing a skate blade. He gets the whistle -- and a penalty for delay of game
• Referee Garrett Rank goes up top for a bird's-eye-view of the play.

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Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On this week's playoff-penalty-filled episode:

• Senators' Grieg gets two
• Montreal's Matheson misses the puck
• Habs’ Demidov may not be to blame for his goaltender interference penalty
• Bruins’ McAvoy is ready for baseball season… and a suspension
• Flyers’ Foerster lowers the hatchet
• Carolina’s Martinook’s self-inflicted high stick
• Why the officials made the right non-call on an icing play that led to the Vegas Golden Knights’ game-winner against the Anaheim Ducks
• Your playoff reminder that officiating ain’t easy, with one liney dumped into the bench and another taking a punch 
• Avs’ Burns with a distinct kicking motion right into Kiriil Kaprizov’s crotch
• Philly’s Drysdale interferes on Staal... or is that the other way around?
• Canes’ Brind’amour gets fired up - and penalized - on the bench
• Flyers’ Sanheim boarded by Hurricanes’ Hall: did the refs get it right?

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week:

• Third jersey rules... and superstitions
• Sens' Greig goes for the sucker-punch
• Pens' Rust hair-pulling Flyers' Martone
• Over the line... or not? Plenty of controversy at Oilers vs. Ducks on a goal-line play with the puck partially obscured by a skate
• Vegas scores twice in OT after their first game-winner came back for an offside
• Bruins' Zadorov get fined for a cross-check during a stoppage... he should've gotten more
• Stars' Benn lowers the lumber on Wild's Ryan Hartman, picking up his fourth fine or suspension in the last five postseasons. He also deserved more for this one.
• Ducks' Kreider gets away with boarding
• Habs' Hutson causes a high stick on himself from Tampa's Point
• Pens' Lizotte goes spearfishing
• Oilers' Hyman with the most distinct kicking motion we've seen all year
• Carolina's Rod Brind'amour offers his thoughts on how the league can improve officiating and cut down on diving and embellishment.

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week:

• A goal line stop - or was it - at Canes vs. Senators Game 1
• Habs’ Anderson takes out Bolts’ D’Astous and sees his penalty reduced from a major to a minor… and then has his goal wiped out on a stick that was too damn high
• Tampa’s Hagel hits Montreal’s Guhle, resulting in a high stick on Brayden Point. That doesn’t seem fair… 
• Goaltender interference at Kings vs. Avalanche
• Mammoth’s Durzi is out there doing head butts
• Strange one at Senators vs. Hurricanes where a penalty shot is awarded for a hook that never happened after a goal is disallowed for an offside zone entry. Did you get all that?
• Down goes Crosby! A career first for Sid the former Kid, picking up an embellishment penalty prior to a faceoff against the Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway
• More chaos at Flyers vs. Pens as Rust and Konecny go at it with unpenalized elbows - and maybe a kick - as the refs break out the riot pads
• Stars’ Benn goes high on an unsuspecting Boldy, picking the head… another accidentally on purpose play from the Dallas captain?
• Carolina’s Hall takes out Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson with an illegal check to the head.

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week:

• 23,596 penalty minutes... how do you measure a year?
• Liney Steve Barton hangs 'em up
• NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Officiating - how do they pick the officials and how does it work in the postseason?
• A high-sticking penalty review turns into a non-call. It's the right interpretation under the rule book... so is the rule just WRONG?
• Stick fouls abound at Sabres vs. Stars as Radek Faska gets penalized for causing a self-inflicted high-stick
• Jordan Greenway sends Ilya Lyubushkin's stick flying
• Another Colorado Avalanche offside controversy... and we're not sure we agree with the call on this one.

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week:

• Ben Betker's NHL Refereeing Debut
• McAvoy's flying stick gets two minutes
• High sticking fines for Luostarinen and Strome
• Flyers' Michkov fined for diving
• Learning what is - and is not - goaltender interference at Bruins vs. Canes, after a goal is allowed after contact in the crease and Bussi drops to sell an elbow
• Mammoth's Weegar gets bailed out by the Utah video coach
• Calgary's Zary clearly has a 'distinct kicking motion' but the NHL allows this goal to stand
• Sharks' Askarov flips his net... but the goal still counts

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Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scoutingtherefs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads. Email us your questions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the RefLine and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠