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In Wednesday's Winter Classic game at the Big House in Ann Arbor, the first goal of the game was scored when a puck directed in off the skate of Detroit Red Wings forward Daniel Alfredsson. Under today's rules, there was no doubt that Alfredsson had scored a legal goal.
On the play, Alfredsson was going to the net and trying to receive a pass from teammate Henrik Zetterberg. As he started to snowplow, the pass ticked off the heel of Alfredsson's skate and went into the net past Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier.
For many years, such a goal would have been disallowed. The older rule books stated that any puck that was directed into the net by any means other than a stick must be disallowed. It was OK if another player's shot attempt ricocheted in off a teammate's skate but once that teammate moved his skate in the direction of the net, it was no goal.
The NHL changed this with introduction of what is now Rule 49.2.
Rule 49.2
Kicking the puck shall be permitted in all zones. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or official.
A puck that deflects into the net off an attacking player’s skate who does not use a distinct kicking motion is a legitimate goal. A puck that is directed into the net by an attacking player’s skate shall be a legitimate goal as long as no distinct kicking motion is evident.
I was happy to see the old rule modified. Goals are hard enough to score in this sport without disallowing one like the Alfredsson tally. To wave it off would be to punish him for skating hard at the net and simply having an attempted pass tick off his skate and go in before he could touch the puck with his stick. For many years, officials had no other choice on plays like this one but to disallow it.
The problem with the current NHL rule is that it is vaguely worded: "distinct kicking motion" is far from a black-and-white working definition of when to disallow a goal.
Does it simply mean the player's foot came forward and directed the puck? A "kick" could be accidental. For example, have you ever dropped an object in the vicinity of your feet while you're walking, went to pick it up and then accidentally knocked it further away with your foot?
In the case of the Alfredsson goal, it was not a kick per se. His skates were moving forward in the direction of the net and the puck struck the back portion of his foot.
Does "distinct kicking motion" mean there must also be some discernible intent behind the attacker playing the puck into the net with his foot? This is a judgment call for the officials. Sometimes this is pretty easy to spot, other times it's not so easy.
Quick story: Shortly after the introduction of instant replay, I was working a nationally televised game in Colorado with linesemen Wayne Bonney and Jay Sharrers. Before the game, I was asked if I was willing to wear a microphone on the ice. I said sure.
A puck went into the net off a skate. Wayne came over to me and said, "We've gotta disallow this one. It was kicked in."
I said thank you. As I skated around toward the scorer's table on the other side, Jay approached me and gave his two cents.
"Good goal, Stewy," he said. "It's gotta count."
I thanked Jay. As I arrived at the scorer's table, I looked up and said, "Now you know why they pay me the big bucks!"
In my own judgment, it was a legal goal. I had a good look at the play, and my ruling on the ice was to award the goal.
Ultimately, the goal stood as it should have. But this is an example of how there can be differing interpretations of the same play.
Something else to consider: Per Rule 49.2, players are allowed to kick the puck deliberately in all three zones of the ice. The only thing they CAN'T legally do in this regard is kick the puck into the net for a goal.
In some instances, a player could be trying to kick a somewhat errant pass from his skates to his stick, but succeed only in sending the puck into the net. Even on the most clear-cut of kicks of the puck, so long as the player manages to touch the puck with the stick (presuming it's at a legal height), it's a good goal. It doesn't matter if he only grazes the puck with the heel of his own stick and all of the energy that carried the puck over the goal line came from the initial kick.
The no-kick rule on goals was originally created for safety reasons back in the days where goaltenders did not wear masks and were not nearly as padded or otherwise as well-protected as they are nowadays. Kicking at the puck in the vicinity of the goalie or a downed defenseman around the crease was a very dangerous proposition.
As far my own opinion on the rule, I am all for allowing re-directs with the skate but NOT outright kicks into the net. This isn't soccer. Hockey is primarily meant for displaying stick skills, and the stick shouldn't become one of several optional ways of getting the puck into the net. You can't swat a puck in with your glove, either, or grab it and drop it into the net.
Another quick tangent: Back in 1993, referee Denis Morel got into a heap of trouble with the NHL for allowing an overtime goal by Winnipeg's Nelson Emerson after the puck got tossed into the net. What happened was that Chicago goalie Ed Belfour tried to clear the puck around the glass behind the Chicago net, but a forechecking Emerson intercepted it in the football-like sense of the term. In other words, Emerson caught the puck with his right glove and, with puck in hand, skated around from the behind the net toward the right goalpost, where he then dropped the puck behind the goal line.
If you recall the furor over that play, think about what might ensue if a playoff series were decided on an overtime sequence where a player soccer kicks in the winning goal. It's just not a good precedent for the game to allow that type of goal to stand.
People have asked me over the years about various permutations of the kicking rules. Unlike the somewhat ambiguous "distinct kicking motion" wording in the rulebook, the rules are quite clear in addressing how to handle various events that can happen after a puck is kicked by an attacking player.
* If the kicked puck deflects into the net off the equipment (shin pads, hockey pants, etc) of a player on either team -- attacking or defending, including the goalie -- it is no goal.
* If a kicked puck deflects into the net off the stick of any defending position player EXCEPT the goalie, it's a good goal.
* If a kicked puck deflects into the net off the goalie's stick, it's no goal.
* As stated earlier, if a kicked puck goes in after it grazes the stick of the player who kicked it, it's a good goal. Same thing if it goes off a teammate's stick. The teammate would be the one officially awarded with the goal.
* If the player who kicked the puck dropped his stick on the ice on the play and the kicked puck subsequently hits the stick and goes in the net, it's no goal.
Have a good weekend, everyone. Tonight, I will be a guest on Dan Rea's "Nightside" radio show on WBZ1030 News Radio, Boston's CBS Radio local affiliate. You can
listen live here.
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Recent Blogs by Paul Stewart
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New Years, Broken Whistles and the Ol' Goal-in-the-Pants Trick
From Body by Dunkin' to Body by Smitty
The Red Line, O'Rourke Injury and the Two-Ref System
A Christmas Blog
Romeo and that Fox-y Glow
On Wilson, Kamikaze Attacks and Red Herrings
Working With Injury
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the only American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials, while also maintaining a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.
Stewart is currently working with a co-author on an autobiography.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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