In three of the major sports, MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, three of the four leagues actually have one thing in common compared to the other. Three of the leagues make officials available after games for a pool report where a reporter will ask the head official about a ruling or incident that occurred in the game.
Can you guess which league doesn’t? That’s right, the NHL. They are the only league that does make an official available following a game for an explanation for something that occurred in the game. Sunday night at the TD Garden, the Boston Bruins dropped Game 4 of their 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff series to the Florida Panthers, 3-2. The visitors have taken a 3-1 commanding series lead following scoring two third-period goals.
While officiating has become one of the bigger playoff topics (surprise, surprise) and Sunday night, it came to a head in the third period. With the Bruins nursing a 2-1 lead and Florida on the power play, Sam Bennett cross-checked Charlie Coyle into Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman which opened the net for Bennett to tie the game. Boston challenged the goal for goaltender interference and lost. Florida would go on to win the game with a goal from Aleksander Barkov later in the period, but unlike the other sports, no officials were made available to answer any questions from the media because they don’t have it in place like the other three sports.
Bruins GM Don Sweeney calls out the NHL
Monday before the Bruins charted a plane to Florida for a Game 5 Tuesday night facing elimination, Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media and basically called out the NHL to make a league rep or an official available after games to answer questions. Yeah, good luck with that.
Don Sweeney doesn’t really address the ruling on Bennett’s goal directly, but calls for refs and league officials to be made available to answer questions from media.
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) May 13, 2024
Seriously, all the other three major sports make officials or umpires available after a game to answer questions, but not the NHL. Last night would have been the perfect time for it. The final decision, according to Montgomery, was made up in Toronto, who agreed with the call on the ice.
I get it, hockey is a tough game to officiate, but sometimes fans deserve answers and the NHL doesn’t allow it right from the officials.NHL fans and players deserve answers right from the decision makers like the other three professional sports allow.