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Hand Passes Should Be Legal Anyways

May 16, 2019, 12:41 PM ET [103 Comments]
James Tanner
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The Blue lose, and everyone is once again complaining about the refs.

It's a big game and it's an unfortunate result for the Blues, but referees are human and they make mistakes. The idea that every call should be 100% correct is more of a problem than bad refereeing, because it's an unrealistic standard.

Expect mistakes, realize that they balance out in the end, and don't worry about it.

The refs are no worse than they've ever been. We just magnify their mistakes more. If the NHL wants the refs to be perfect there is, however, a very easy solution.

Instead of having two referees on the ice, one should sit on the sidelines with a monitor and they should both be connected to a headset.



The bench ref uses video review to more accurately get the calls right, and we can dispense with the coaches challenges and debates about what should and should not be reviewed.

As an added bonus, there will be one less guy on the ice.

That should solve the problem.

But as regarding that goal last night, while it obviously shouldn't have counted under the current rules, I think it's worth pointing out that the current rules are stupid.

Why can't you do a hand pass in the offensive zone? What, exactly, would be the drawbacks?

There'd be more goals and less play stoppages.

What is the downside here? In my opinion, goalies are too good and there isn't enough scoring in the NHL anyways.

There is absolutely no reason to disallow hand passes. I can't think of one single reason they should be outlawed, other than they always have been.

Since you can make hand passes in the defensive zone, it seems the rules give an advantage to defending which is not necessary in hockey, since it's already so hard to score.

The hand pass should be allowed, one of the refs should move to the bench, and since I bet on the Sharks - Good Goal!
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