Back to the New York Islanders Newsfeed

Blowing the whistle on non-call in overtime

Years ago, a fellow hockey enthusiast suggested that in a symbolic gesture, NHL referees ought to halt play with two minutes left in a playoff game and ceremonially skate off the ice because they weren’t going to do anything from then on anyway.

That was the perception: No official would call a penalty in crunch time or overtime. To its credit, the league has made mature strides since then. In Game 5 of the Islanders-Panthers series, the Islanders had a penalty shot called against them in overtime, and received two power plays. Still, there is a trace in hockey’s bloodstream that says almost nothing should be called in overtime, that “the players should decide it.