The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue to be marred by controversial calls made by the on-ice officials and the Situation Room in Toronto. Whether it is a missed penalty or a controversial goal, the officials are taking center stage, and the focus really should be on the players and the games themselves. This time, Alexander Petrovic and the Dallas Stars were in the middle of it all.
Unfortunately, this has been a trend all season. It also dates back to last season when it came to goalie interference. However, this time, the rulebook is being scrutinized even more because of the ruling in Game 3 of Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets.
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Early into the third period, with the game tied at 2-2, Petrovic kicked the puck towards the net on a scramble near Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. The puck then hit Hellebuyck’s stick, and he tried to go after it, preventing the puck from entering the net. However, Hellebuyck was unsuccessful.
Now, the call on the ice by the official at the goal line was a good goal. That factor will be important later on, as the NHL Situation Room can overturn the call on the ice if there is an abundance of evidence or indisputable evidence to do so, or else they go with the call on the ice.
At first, there was confusion on the ice as this was not a challenge by Jets head coach Scott Arniel. The officials went to the scorer’s table as the review came from the Situation Room in Toronto. They were looking to see if Petrovic kicked the puck on net. It was a lengthy delay as the in-arena DJ put on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird. That is a 9:10 song. That is how long the officials and Situation Room took to decide the call on the ice was right, and it was a good goal.
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However, the explanation had everyone scratching their heads and sending confusion throughout the entire NHL.
The referee got on the mic and said that while Alexander Petrovic kicked the puck towards the net, Connor Hellebuyck made a play on the puck and propelled it into the net, thus making it a good goal. Even the NHL Situation Room backed the on-ice officials’ call of a good call.
“The Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine if Alexander Petrovic kicked the puck into the Winnipeg net. Video was then used to determine if the puck made contact with Petrovic’s stick prior to it entering the net. After looking at all available replays, video review supported the Referee’s call on the ice that Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.”
Soon after, everyone went to the NHL Rulebook to see if the word “propelled” was in it and to look up the rule about goals being disallowed because of a distinct kicking motion. Clearly, the puck deflected off Hellebuyck’s stick and into the net, and according to the rules, if a puck that is kicked on net and hits the goalie’s stick and goes in doesn’t count.
Ref explanation: “The Winnipeg goalie puts the puck into his own net after a kick.”
Hmm… Sounds like they’re saying it WAS a kick that didn’t just DEFLECT but that Hellebuyck’s actions put it into the net.
Not sure about that based on section ii below: https://t.co/7QYLVAQaPW
— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) May 11, 2025
There were multiple rules in place, as the NHL felt under Rule 49.2, and if a goalie puts a kicked puck into their own net, it can count. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet clarified the ruling and explained why the review took so long because of the number of requested replays. Not to mention, the On-Ice Officials felt strongly that the puck was not illegally kicked in. They also felt that if it was kicked, Hellebuyck “propelled it in” instead of deflecting it in.
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However, the word “propelled” does not appear in the NHL Rulebook. Many are questioning how the rules are being interpreted by not only the Situation Room but also the on-ice officials. While there is no evidence that gambling or betting played a role in this call, the integrity of the sport could come into question.
If you go back to the Artturi Lehkonen goal in Game 1 of Round 1, when the Colorado Avalanche took on the Dallas Stars. Despite Lehkonen falling off balance, his left leg makes a soccer-style kicking motion at the puck to propel it into the net.
Artturi Lehkonen just FLUNG the puck off his skate and into the net without kicking it ? pic.twitter.com/25wwwQBZMy
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 20, 2025
Despite the referees saying no intent, you can see this was a kicking motion. However, this goal stood out like the Alexander Petrovic goal. Similar to the Lehkonen goal, if you ask the coaches about the Petrovic goal, one will say it was a good goal, and the other will say it was the wrong call, as we saw with Scott Arniel and Pete DeBoer post-game.
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That was a big moment because the Winnipeg Jets unravelled after playing a good road game. Mikko Rantanen continues his hot streak and scored moments later to give the Stars a 4-2 lead they did not look back on.
With more and more calls under scrutiny, social media does not help the cause; however, watching the games, you can see something is off this season. While the NHL will always back their officials, it might be time to put them in front of the microphones to explain their calls instead of people guessing.
But remember, as previously mentioned, the Situation Room will go with the call on the ice if there isn’t an abundance of evidence to overturn it. Alexander Petrovic’s goal has sparked controversy and made people question the rulebook. The debate will rage on whether the NHL got the call right, but one thing is for sure: everyone is left dazed and confused.
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