Executive Director of Hockey Ops Colin Campbell provides rationale behind Coleman's disallowed goal in Game 5
It's been discussed a ton the last 18 hours or so, but we have finally heard from one of the NHL's top executives about Blake Coleman's disallowed goal. The NHL has failed time and time again in these reviews and have not set a clear standard. One game a play is ruled a good goal and the next, the exact same play is now no goal.
Speaking to the media today, Executive Director of Hockey Ops, Colin Campbell described the situation as "as difficult a call as we've had the last few years". He followed that up with "We felt there was a distinct kicking motion & he propelled the puck deliberately in. There's no such thing as, 'the blade has to be on the ice.' You can kick a puck w/o taking your foot off the ice".
Two things about what Colin Campbell said that make no sense. He notes that Coleman deliberately made an attempt at the puck, under the rules, which maybe these executives and officials should read once in a while, "a player is allowed to deliberately direct the puck into the net (Rule 49.2 and 37.4) as long as there is no distinct kicking motion. Speaking of distinct kicking motion", Campbell essentially admits that Coleman's skate was not lifted off the ice in his "distinct kicking motion", saying that a puck can be kicked without taking the skate off the ice. Well Mr. Campbell, how does one make a distinct kicking motion when their back foot is already in the air, and all their weight is on their front foot trying to stop? Last I checked, it's pretty much impossible to make a kicking motion without lifting the skate off the ice. That begs the question, does the NHL even understand what a kicking motion is? Look at some of the goals that were reviewed and allowed to stand based on «kicking motions» this season and explain how they were good goals, but Coleman's was not.
The officiating on the ice, the DOPS and war room in Toronto has been consistently inconsistent all season and the past several seasons and people wonder why players and coaches complain so much. As infuriating as it is for us as hockey fans to watch, it must be far worse for the players and teams directly impacted by this rampant incompetence.
