Last night, there was a massive controversy in Columbus, as Blue Jackets’ player Andrew Peeke was lying face-down on the ice, unable to move, as Boston scored on a breakaway. Peeke was hammered into the boards by Brad Marchand, but as he fell on the ice, the referee let the play go on.
The referees didn’t raise his arm to pull Marchand to the penalty box, and they didn’t stop the play because of the injury. Instead, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk skated on a breakaway to tie the game, 1-1.
A rule says that the team with an injured player has to have possession of the puck for the refs to blow the whistle, so the referees didn’t have to stop the play. But the Blue Jackets were still infuriated.
“I know the rule for injuries is you have to have possession, or whatever, but I think the job is to protect the players,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski told the Athletic.
“When a guy is down like that, not moving, I think the play should be blown dead no matter what the circumstances are. I’ve voiced that in the past and I still feel the same way.
Peeke had to be helped off the ice but then went through the NHL’s concussion protocol and returned to the second period. The Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen wasn’t happy afterward.
“It’s hard to see one of your guys down, and I’ll leave it like that,” he said.
Peeke, however, was careful in his comments.
“I haven’t seen a replay on it,” Peeke said. “Obviously, in the moment, I didn’t like it. But I have to see a replay.”
