The Panthers and Hurricanes played one of the longest games in NHL history during Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
That game could have been much shorter if not for a goalie interference call against the Panthers just a few minutes into overtime.
It first appeared that Florida had scored the game-winner when Eric Staal launched a puck in the direction of the net that eventually found Ryan Lomberg. The forward fired a shot toward goal and put it past Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen for the apparent win.
RYAN LOMBERG WINS GAME 1 IN OVERTIME FOR THE PANTHERS!#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/FhVKSRXOtH
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) May 19, 2023
However, the officials convened after the score and eventually would overturn the goal. Why? Because Panthers forward Colin White had interfered with Andersen during the play.
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But what exactly is goalie interference, and was White guilty of? Sporting News breaks down one of the more controversial moments from the first game of the NHL's Eastern Conference Final in 2023.
What is goalie interference in hockey?
Simply put, goalie interference occurs when an opposing player makes avoidable contact with the goalie, either inside or outside of the crease.
The call isn't limited to being made when a goal is scored. Officials can call goalie interference, which results in a minor penalty, if they believe that avoidable contact with a goalie has been made.
But more often than not, goalie interference is called after a goal is scored. And more often than anything else, it is a dreaded judgment call for NHL officials — both on the ice and in the league's replay center in Toronto — to make.
Here is how the NHL defines goaltender interference when a goal has been scored, according to Rule 69.1 in the rulebook:
This rule is based on the premise that an attacking player’s position, whether inside or outside the crease, should not, by itself, determine whether a goal should be allowed or disallowed. In other words, goals scored while attacking players are standing in the crease may, in appropriate circumstances be allowed.
Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgement of the Referee(s), but may be subject to a Coach’s Challenge
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, the most notable of which comes if an attacking player is pushed by a defender into the goal.
In that instance, any interference would be the responsibility of the defending player. That means that any goal scored during this contact would stand.
If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.
That said, if an attacking player pushes his own man into the goalie, that would naturally remain interference, as the contact was caused by the attacking team.
If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.
That rule sounds simple enough, right? Well, not exactly. It contains within it a lot of gray areas about what is considered avoidable contact and how much time must elapse between the interference and the goal for it to be overturned.
As such, many goalie interference calls — like all judgment calls in sports — are considered questionable.
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Did Colin White commit goalie interference?
White's goaltender interference call was among those questioned by NHL fans in its immediate aftermath. After all, he didn't make that much contact with Andersen and he was slightly contacted by Hurricanes forward Jack Drury during the play.
You can see the contact deemed interference from an above-goal angle below.
This was called no goal after being ruled goalie interference. pic.twitter.com/L5FjLSKnAe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 19, 2023
So, was goalie interference the right call against White? Yes, it, was.
While the contact White made with Andersen wasn't severe, he did hit the goalie skate-to-skate while in the blue paint. And shortly thereafter, a puck was fired into the back of the net.
White certainly didn't mean to hit Andersen's skate, but intent doesn't matter when officiating goalie interference. The onus was on White to avoid the contact considering that Drury didn't really force him back into the goalie.
White was unable to do that, and as such, the goal was called off.
Ultimately, this call didn't cost the Panthers and their fans anything but a few hours of sleep. Florida was able to win the game 3-2 with 13 seconds left in quadruple overtime on a goal from Matthew Tkachuk to take a 1-0 series lead.
But even if the result had flipped, the Panthers wouldn't really be able to complain about the nullification of Lomberg's goal.