I’ve NEVER seen an NHL referee do this

Over the years, we have seen John Tortorella lose his cool on many occasions in the NHL. Just last season, he refused to leave after being ejected. Tonight though, as the Philadelphia Flyers played the Detroit Red Wings, I thought he may literally blow a fuse. After the referee seemingly called a penalty on Detroit, the Flyers sent out a 6th player. However, the referee changed his mind as play continued, meaning the Flyers now had an extra skater. So rather than getting a powerplay, the referee was now suddenly charging them with a penalty for too many men for an error he caused in the first place. Needless to say, Tortorella was not pleased in a sequence I can honestly say, I have never seen anything like in the NHL! I cover it all and more in todays NHL hockey video!

41 comments

  2. Why can't refs just admit the mistake and blow for a faceoff for something? I guess one thing NHL doesn't have is the ability to blow the play dead but then give the puck to a team

  5. To paraphrase Mr. Miyagi, either yes you call penalty or no you don't call penalty, if you MAYBE call penalty? Torts will squash you like grape. 🍇🤣

  9. I'm sick of these referees controlling the games with calls and horrible missed calls. I don't enjoy watching as much as it's frustrating because it's on a regular basis

  17. Can you just make yourself accept wearing a suit and tie, Tortarella? I mean, I know everything has to be your way, but you can look like a professional, just like everyone else does. This is not the fucking NBA.

  19. This is such a minor mistake by the ref and an overreaction by everyone else.

    It's surprising it doesn't happen more often.

    But his arm wasn't even up for a second. There's no way they didn't see him put it right back down before they iced another player.

    And sorry but it isn't a "right" that you're givin to put an extra attacker on the ice for a delayed penalty. It's a strategic decision that comes with risk. Part of that risk is knowing if the ref is indeed calling a penalty in your favor.

    The limited time the refs hand is up in the air is not enough time to complete r risk assessment.

    They simply knew they'd be able to bitch and complain about it because that's what Torts loves to do.

  21. He put his hand up because he thought Detroit too many men. But after a re count he realized Detroit didn't have too many men so he put his hand down. It's a mistake just about everyone who has reffed has made. It's a mistake you don't expect an HNL referee to make but they are human. Now I do think the crew could've handled it better. I don't ref anymore but if this happened to me at the first stoppage I'd skate over to the bench and say sorry I thought they had too many men. It baffles me that 4 NHL Officials couldn't figure that out. Own up to the mistake and it pretty much diffuses the situation.

    What is the ref supposed todo? Call too many men on Detroit?

  25. The ref made a mistake and quickly corrected it. FCS his arm never was straight up. His elbow was still bent when he lowered it. Flyers coach is a crybaby. It's not like the arm was up for 20 seconds during which he pulled his goalie and put a sixth skater out. The refs arm was down long before that could have even happened.

    Flyers coach is a loser and wants to blame the refs for his own failure. Pathetic

  26. I am sorry, but it is about time the refs should also have to sit in front of the press and answer for these types of calls. They should not be protected for this crap.

  27. Someone please clear something up for me. I get the idiocy of the ref raising his arm and then dropping it again, and clearly this is unfair to the Flyers, but I did see too many Flyers on the ice – six skaters and goalie Ersson. My question is, "specifically" how did the Flyers understandably end up with too many men?
    I wish there was a nightly hockey program where all the bad officiating calls in all the games are called and the officiating crew outed by name. I'd like officiating stats kept and officials required to face the press for their failures, just like players and coaches are asked to do.

  29. Regardless of the issue of a penalty against the Wings or not – they sent a sixth skater out, but the goalie stayed on the ice – Philadelphia should have had a penalty for too many men. Even on a delayed call the goalie has to stay off the ice to get a sixth skater

  30. Wow.. i found the reffing getting worse in the last 3 yrs.. but its also.league wide and bias is heavy with certain refs.. the next contract needs some accountability me thinks

  31. ya the NHL is doing a great job plucking all their new officials out of minor pro leagues as ex-players

    "its a bold strategy cotton, lets see if it pays off for 'em…"

  32. Wait, why would they not call the Flyers for too many? The arm being up, then down, doesn't allow them to add a player… the goalie didn't go to the bench, so. Torts is a clown, and should thank his stars the refs botched this thing in his favor

  33. Saw this in real time and thought this was surprisingly shitty officiating. Loved the jawing and furor, then an NHL first: caught red handed and forced to reverse. I’m a big believer in video replay supporting challenges just as in NFL. NHL needs to expand challenges and rules for them.

  34. Reminds me of a beer league game where the arm went up, we sent out the extra man and yanked the goalie. We actually kept possession for a while, took a shot, and then when play was dead we got told we had a penalty…against us….what would they have done if we scored?

  36. The ref should leave his hand up and discuss with the other officials. He can change his mind and rescind the penalty then and it will look okay to everyone.

  38. The NHL have to get a hold on the low IQ refs they have..It is becoming clearly embarrassing to say the least. It all reeks of fixed games for the massively rich betting corporations that permeate all those board add and TV commercials. Check out where the money was going on this game…

  39. That’s the same ref who took a goal away from Stutzle and penalized him when he knocked an opponent’s stick away but Stutzle was in the process of making a shot. Look it up. That ref couldn’t qualify to ref a junior high game.

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