[quote name="phranchk"]
Puck was never frozen, RK. It was sitting in front of his pad and next to the net the whole time. No way should the whistle have blown. It was unfortunately the correct call.
I don't know if this was mentioned, but why was that a penalty on Turco? I thought if you get the puck first it's not tripping?[/quote]
As a referee, I can say the rule book doesn't definitively state that. At least the USA Hockey rulebook doesn't. Its a judgment call by the referee in most cases that if you play the puck first and trip a guy as a result, its not called. But by the letter of the law, it's still a trip. From the rulebook....
Rule 639 Tripping
(a) A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on any player
who shall place his stick, foot, arm, hand or elbow, or
extends the leg (Leg Checking) from the front or from behind,
in such a manner that it shall cause his opponent to trip or
fall.
(Note 1) If, in the opinion of the Referee, a player is
unquestionably hook-checking or poke checking the puck
and obtains possession of it, thereby tripping the puck
carrier, no penalty shall be imposed.Note: Turco didn't obtain possession of the puck under this interpretation
(Note 2) Accidental trips that occur simultaneously with or
after a stoppage of play will not be penalized.
Any player who deliberately leaves his feet and contacts
an opponent with any part of his body thereby causing the
opponent to trip or fall shall be assessed a minor penalty
(Clipping).
(Note 3) This rule does not apply to a player who has
dropped to his knee(s) to block a shot.
(b) A major penalty plus a game misconduct penalty shall be
assessed to any player who injures an opponent as a result of
a foul committed by tripping or leg checking.
(c) When a player in control of the puck beyond the defending
blue line, and having no other opponent to pass than the
goalkeeper, is tripped or otherwise fouled from behind or
diagonally from behind (beyond the fouled player’s peripheral
vision), thus preventing a reasonable scoring opportunity, a
penalty shot/optional minor shall be awarded to the non-
offending team. Nevertheless, the Referee shall not stop the
play until the attacking team has lost possession and control
of the puck to the defending team.
(Note) The intention of this rule is to restore a reasonable
scoring opportunity that has been lost by reason of a foul
from behind when the foul is committed in the Neutral or
Attacking Zones.
“Possession and control of the puck” (See Glossary) means
the act of propelling the puck with a stick. If, while it is
being propelled, the puck is touched by another player or his
equipment or hits the goal or goes free, the player shall no
longer be considered to be “in possession and control of the
puck.”This is where the Turco interpretation gets hazy. He could have been considered as "having possession" under this definition.
(d) If, when the opposing goalkeeper has been removed from the
ice, a player in control of the puck beyond the defending blue
line is tripped or otherwise fouled with no opposition
between him and the opposing goal, thus preventing an
obvious and imminent scoring opportunity, the Referee shall
immediately stop the play and award a goal to the attacking
team.
