A Long Controversial December

It's a busy week on the #RefsPodcast:Jets goalie Thomas Milic picks up a penalty for covering up the puckKraken's Mason Marchment fires up the Edmonton Oilers after a hit on Darnell NursePenguins' Blake Lizotte with the crotch-hoist on the Flyers' Garnet Hathaway. Should the NHL come down harder on the ol' pickle-smasher?Blues' Toropchenko takes out the Utah Mammoth's Logan Cooley with a knee, earning a major penalty but avoiding a fine or suspensionSabres' Rasmus Dahlin looked like the only one surprised he was given a major penalty for boarding Trevor Zegras of the Philadelphia Flyers. Nashville's Steven Stamkos scores the OT game-winner with Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling already in there... and the net off its pegsA hand pass haunts the Tampa Lay Lightning as Nikita Kucherov's game-tying goal was disallowed after the NHL's Situation Room reviewed the play for a missed stoppage. Was it the right call?Clear your calendars! Oilers fans—imagine spending a week in the sun with Edmonton legends! The Edmonton Hockey Legends Cruise 2026 sails July 17–24, 2026 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, cruising the Mexican Riviera.On board: Jason Strudwick, Bill Ranford, Ron Low, Gene Principe, Jack Michaels, Kelly Buchberger, and Louie DeBrusk.You’ll get meet & greets, hot-stove sessions, Q&A panels, autographs, and a chance to watch the World Cup Final at sea with the legends. Cabins start at $2,399 CAD, and it’s just a $500 deposit to lock it in.Book at cast.tours/edmonton and use promo code REFS2026 for $100 off per person—again, that’s cast.tours/edmonton - promo code REFS2026 - to save $100 per guest. ------------------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!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #RefsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 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.