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It was an odd call but I believe the player leaving his feet was probably the issue in the refs mind:
Rule 607 | Charging is the action where a player takes more than two strides or travels an excessive distance to accelerate through a body check for the purpose of punishing the opponent. This includes skating or leaving one's feet (jumping) into the opponent to deliver a check, accelerating through a check for the purpose of punishing the opponent, or skating a great distance for the purpose of delivering a check with excessive force. The onus is on the player delivering the check to avoid placing a vulnerable or defenseless opponent in danger of potential injury.
That is interesting. I can see how to deliver a strong check without jumping if skating forward. With using your back to check, unless a very strong back skater, a jump backward is almost a must to deliver a strong check.
So, its one of those plays that gives the zebras a chance to make a call.
Yeah not sure if you watch SDPN but they talked about it today and also 32 thoughts did as well. I’ve seen that type of hit called in youth hockey which I played a somewhat high level but pretty rare in the NHL. Honestly there’s always been some checking in the NHL that seems counter to check hockey at the high school/college/travel level of play. Matt Dumba as an example seems to always use his forearms - that’s defined as elbowing at lower levels of play but at the pro level I guess it’s not.
Regardless I think they’re half heartedly trying to get high hits out of the game, so I can see that hit getting called. Sort of like the tap on the hands that turns into slashing compared to like Trouba attempting to launch through one of the Canes in that series that is just “a hockey play”. It all is starting to feel like pass interference in the NFL, like oddly subjective calls at potentially critical times in the game.