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NHL

Reviewing the Niklas Kronwall Penalty

Posted May 23, 2009 3:25PM By Adam Gretz (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Blackhawks, Red Wings, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos

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We're a little less than 24 hours removed from Friday's Red Wings-Blackhawks game, which saw Chicago claw its way back into the series with a 4-3 overtime win, while a lot of the debate has been centered around Niklas Kronwall's devastating hit on Martin Havlat.

While Havlat was knocked six ways from Tuesday, Kronwall was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference which set off a firestorm of discussion around the hockey blogosphere and message boards. Was it interference? Was it charging? Was it a legal, clean hit? We asked the NHL for comment.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the video one more time:



Since the call on the ice was interference, it's worth taking a look at the NHL rule book and its many definitions of interference. I don't know what the referees were looking at or what they saw on the ice as the play was unfolding, but it's obvious on the replay that Havlat never actually touched the puck, which would seem to bring to question the "possession of the puck" aspect of the rule.
The last player to touch the puck, other than the goalkeeper, shall be considered the player in possession. The player deemed in possession of the puck may be checked legally, provided the check is rendered immediately following his loss of possession.
If I'm understanding this correctly, Havlat, having never touched the puck, would not be the player with possession. Instead, the player with possession would actually be Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart, who shot the puck off the end boards prior to Havlat getting hit. So, the question now becomes: if Havlat touches the puck, instead of having it go between his feet, does the interference penalty still get called?

I posed this question to the NHL seeking some clarification and received this response from John Dellapina, director of media relations:

"While I haven't spoken to the officials and can't speak for their thinking," said Dellapina via e-mail. "You have the interference part right. Interference is defined as impeding or fouling a player who does not possess the puck (or wasn't the last to recently possess it). You technically can't interfere with a puck-carrier (though you obviously can be penalized for fouling him in many other ways). Hockey doesn't permit blocking."

In March, we saw New York Rangers forward Colton Orr get five minutes and a game misconduct for interfering with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton, knocking him out of the game (oddly enough, Dave Jackson was one of the officials in this game, as well as Friday's game in Chicago). By rule, when an interference penalty is severe enough to cause an injury, the referees are allowed to issue a five-minute major, and once the major penalty is issued, the game misconduct becomes automatic.

Latest NHL Images

    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Goalie Cristobal Huet #38 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cristobal Huet

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin #39 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nikolai Khabibulin

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Dustin Byfuglien #33 of the Chicago Blackhawks is restrained as he yells at Niklas Kronwall #55 of the Detroit Red Wings after Kronwall delievered a hard check on Martin Havlat #24 (C lying on the ice being tended to by medical personnel) of the Blackhawks during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dustin Byfuglien;Martin Havlat;Niklas Kronwall;Duncan Keith

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Head coach Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks yells from behind the bench against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joel Quenneville;Patrick Sharp;Samuel Pahlsson

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin #39 of the Chicago Blackhawks gives up a goal to Jonathan Ericsson #52 of the Detroit Red Wings during the second period of Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nikolai Khabibulin

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Patrick Sharp #10 and Cam Barker #25 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate after Sharp scored the game-winning goal in overtime to win 4-3 against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Sharp;Cam Barker

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks acknowledges the fans after he was named the #1 start of the game against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Sharp

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Andrew Ladd #16 (R) and Duncan Keith #2 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate after Ladd scored a goal in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andrew Ladd;Duncan Keith

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    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin #39 of the Chicago Blackhawks hangs his head as he stands in goal against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nikolai Khabibulin

    Getty Images

    CHICAGO - MAY 22: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks acknowledges the fans after he was named the #1 start of the game against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Three of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Sharp

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That call -- and the rule -- prompted us to seek out a discussion with NHL's director of officiating, Stephen Walkom, who clarified the major penalty for interference by saying: "In terms of that call, a year ago the general managers decided that in our rule book we always had a minor penalty for interference. Someone asked the question one day, 'What happens if a player doesn't play the puck, gets hit, and gets injured ... Shouldn't that be a major penalty? And a game misconduct?' So, the major penalty and a game misconduct were added to the rule book last year. It was approved by the competition committee, the board of governors and the general managers first."

Assuming all of this is correct, that seems to be, in my opinion, a flaw with the interference penalty in this particular case. Technically speaking the call seems to be correct: Havlat never touched the puck and he was on the receiving end of a violent hit, knocking him out of the game. On the other hand, the puck is right there at his feet. He's the only player that can actually play it at that point, shouldn't that be enough to determine "possession?"

Some people, like Seth Rorabaugh of the Post Gazette's Empty-Netters blog (via Puck Daddy) felt the call should have been charging, which was the side of the fence I was initially leaning toward. In the end, the result would have been the same.

43.1 Charging - A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A "charge" may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice.

Tags: Brad+Stuart, BradStuart, Colton+Orr, ColtonOrr, Mark+Eaton, MarkEaton, Martin+Havlat, MartinHavlat, Niklas+Kronwall, NiklasKronwall, Stephen+Walkom, StephenWalkom

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