Minnesota Wild Game Notes are topics from each game we feel need more Clutter as they were either an important part of the game or brought up a topic that could use deeper explanation or more conversation.
Today’s Game Notes are: New NHL Rules for the 2024-25 Season, Goalie Interference, the Minnesota Wild Penalty Kill & Cal Clutterbuck becoming a broadcaster… for the time being.
Game Notes
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New NHL Rules for the 2024-25 Season
There are a few new rules:
Rule 38.2 (Situations Subject to Coach’s Challenge)
A coach’s challenge now will be permitted to take down a penalty for puck out of play. This only will apply to delay of game penalties when the puck is determined to have deflected off a player, stick, glass or boards, and not on a judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone (e.g., batted pucks or if the puck was shot out from the defensive zone). In the event of a failed challenge, another two-minute minor penalty will be assessed (in addition to the existing delay of game penalty).
- Because a team would get another penalty, this will probably not be challenged very often if at all.
- The Wild had a delay-of-game penalty last night. They could’ve used a challenge to try to take it down, but it was too hard to tell, and they didn’t want to go down to 5-on-3, so they did not challenge it.
Rule 63.8 (Line Change Following Dislodged Net)
There will be an adjustment to Rule 63.8 so that the defensive team cannot make a line change in the event its goaltender accidentally dislodges the net (old language applied just to skater).
- This is a tiny adjustment but it makes sense since the goalies seem to push the net off the moorings on purpose a lot
- Will it affect them doing it? Doubtful
Rule 76.4 (Face-Off Procedure – Centers)
Following an icing, the offensive center also now will receive one warning (same as the defensive player) for a face-off violation.
Rule 75.3 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Player Sitting on Boards)
The referee now will provide the offending team (coach and players) with one warning regarding players sitting on the boards (and will so advise the other team). After one warning in a game, the team precipitating the warning will be issued a bench minor penalty for future violations.
- This is mostly a safety thing to prevent injuries but it’s also to prevent teams from getting an advantage with a quicker line change.
Are there any rules you think should be added or changed? We don’t like the rule that allows goals to be deflected in by a skate.
We would add an Officials Postgame Press Conference so they would have to explain any controversial calls and so we could hear their reasoning for those or any calls & yes, we would allow coaches to ask questions too. That could be quite entertaining and informational!
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Goaltender Interference?
Will we or anyone ever know what it actually is?
Against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, the Minnesota Wild were scored on at the 10:24 mark of the 2nd period but Columbus F James Van Riemsdyk skated into the goal crease from behind the net to screen the goaltender &/or to attempt to tip a shot. He established a position in the middle of the crease right next to Wild G Filip Gustavsson:
The Columbus player clearly impeded Gustavsson’s ability to play his position and make the save but the officials called it a goal which meant Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes had to determine if they should challenge the play for Goaltender Interference. He decided to challenge the play and it took way too long to determine it was Goaltender Interference and overturn the call on the ice.
It was the 2nd period and no challenges had been made up until that point & the officials knew that so, did they actually think this was a goal or did they call it a goal knowing that the play could be challenged by Minnesota?
It’s hard to believe they thought this was a goal since the player was in the goal crease and the goalie fell down trying to make the save.
This was the explanation given by the NHL:
The review still took several minutes which is amazing since it seems obvious that it’s interference.
If you want to see the whole rule, it’s Rule 69: Interference on the Goalkeeper on page 101. Yep, it’s Rule 69. I’m just going to leave that alone but I do wonder if that may be why we don’t understand this rule.
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Is the Penalty Kill already hurting the Wild?
Also in Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, during the 3rd period with just 3:03 remaining in regulation, the Wild had to kill a Delay of Game Puck Out of Play penalty and… it took Columbus 15 seconds to score on a one-timer.
Very rarely is it good to have 4 players below the goal line on one side of the ice and it’s even more rare to do that when you’re killing a penalty but…
There the Minnesota Wild are with all 4 penalty killers against 3 Columbus Blue Jackets and they didn’t even win the battle for the puck even though they outnumbered them.
It’s only the 1st game but it’s hard to imagine this won’t be brought up in the film session. There was some puck-watching involved here as well. Trenin was for the most part the guilty player as he tried to react to the play instead of reading the play and reacting to that instead.
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Cal Clutterbuck is… a Broadcaster?
Say it ain’t so, Cal! Hey! SoCal! 😂
Apparently, the original Clutter joined the New York Islanders broadcast as an analyst for their season opener.
The article also says, “According to reports, Clutterbuck is not ready to announce his retirement from the ice, but he remains in shape after training all summer.” and “l’m looking forward to being involved and staying with the organization in some capacity.” and in this case, “the organization” is the New York Islanders.
WHAT? Cal! What about St. Paul? Minnesota?
Bring The Clutter Back, Billy G!!! The Wild, well… any team, can use some Clutter! Am I right? Yes. I am!
––––– CP –––––
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