The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have deserved to win this game, but a controversial official ruling cost them a chance to try.
On Monday, the Maple Leafs were playing host to the winless Arizona Coyotes in an early season bout. Through two periods, the Maple Leafs looked listless as the Coyotes built a 2-0 lead on their opponents, but Toronto made a furious comeback in the third to tie the game.
After Shayne Gostisbehere regained the lead for the Coyotes on a power play with less than two minutes remaining, things were looking dire for the Maple Leafs. With 39 seconds left in the game, however, Alexander Kerfoot seemingly tied up the game for the Maple Leafs with a stellar goal. Unfortunately, the goal wouldn’t stand as Morgan Rielly was called for a hand pass just before Kerfoot’s tally.
After review, Morgan Rielly was called for a hand pass seconds before the Leafs tied the game at 3.
What do you think of the call? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yAectZmmmx
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) October 18, 2022
Wait, what? Sure, Rielly does stop the puck with his hand, but to call a hand pass — intentionally directing the puck to a teammate — in that situation feels quite absurd. Here’s how the NHL’s rulebook defines a hand pass.
Here's the hand pass rule… such a weird one to lose a game on. pic.twitter.com/u7VFJQ7Weq
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) October 18, 2022
That’s a rough one to take right there. The Coyotes ended up beating the Maple Leafs 4-2 thanks to the controversial call, a wound that will certainly sting until the two teams meet again in late December on ESPN+.
Maple Leafs fans were not happy about the call, to say the least.
That has to be the first hand pass in NHL history with an opponents stick in the same glove. 😕
— Alex Seixeiro (@AlexSeixeiro) October 18, 2022
It's still a hand pass if the opposition player touches it? OhhhhKay.
— Chris Selley (@cselley) October 18, 2022
Wow. #Leafs tying goal wiped out by a hand pass on replay. They got hosed.
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) October 18, 2022
If that’s a hand pass, then the #NHL is f…Ed
— steve buffery (@Beezersun) October 18, 2022
How is that a hand pass?!?!
— lindsay (@LeafsLindsay) October 18, 2022
I still don’t see a hand pass anywhere https://t.co/k9EsqpHkm5
— noah 🤖 (@VLADJR27) October 18, 2022
that is the most insane hand pass call I’ve ever seen
— bobbi :) (@mo_gardiner) October 18, 2022
you can clearly see kellers stick hit riellys hand. WHAT IS A HAND PASS REF???? PLEASE TELL ME
— Liv Penwell (@lpenwell24) October 18, 2022
both things can be true:
1) the Leafs played like actual toe nail clippings
2) the Leafs got screwed on that call— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) October 18, 2022
Honestly this was a stupid game. I have no idea how that was a hand pass. I have no idea how the Leafs screwed up so much anyway. Just going to forget this one.
— Matt Gurney (@mattgurney) October 18, 2022
