COLUMBUS, Ohio – The NHL said human error – particularly the actions of an overly exuberant off-ice official-in-training within Nationwide Arena – led to a controversial goal and the bizarre series of events that followed in the Blue Jackets’ 6- 5 loss to Carolina on Sunday.
Late in the second period, the Blue Jackets went on to challenge a goal from Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck, believing the game to be offside. After a quick assessment, the goal was allowed and the Jackets went on the penalty kill because the challenge was unsuccessful.
If you thought the call was bizarre – reps clearly showed Trocheck in the puck zone seconds before the goal was scored – brace yourself for an explanation of how it all went.
The league, it turns out, never really enforced the “good goal” rule. They were still reviewing the piece when the wrong information was passed on to the NHL referee …