Referees use new rule to rescind major penalty to Nic Deslauriers after ugly hit
Over the summer the NHL implemented a new rule that allowed referees to review major penalties and erase them completely. Previously the rule only allowed for penalties to be reduced from a major penalty to a minor. Last night during a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets the new rule was used and it worked perfectly.
During the second period on a play in the Columbus zone, as Blue Jacket's defender Erik Gudbransson tries to retrieve the puck he's hit from behind by Nicolas Deslauriers. The hit left Gudbransson bloodied and forced him to leave the game. Deslauriers was issued a major penalty for the hit.
But upon review it was clear to the referees that Deslauriers was in a position to deliver a legal hit. That was until Gudbransson stumbles and falls. The fall caused the hit by Deslauriers to no longer be a legal hit.
This was a perfect use case for this rule and displayed the importance of the addition. Instead of having to kill an undeserved major penalty, the Flyers continued the game at 5 on 5.
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