The theme of this year’s NHL season seems to be … goalie interference. Almost every day, there’s a video review sparking fan debates, and many are growing tired of it—including NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette.
The rules are clear: You cannot be in the crease and interfere with the goalie if you want the goal to count. But this season, something seems to have changed in how officials interpret these incidents.
Almost every night, a team challenges a goal for goalie interference, and more often than not, the officials overturn the goals after video reviews. Fans don’t always agree with the calls, leading to heated discussions. On Thursday, yet another controversial goalie interference call occurred during a crucial moment in a game, drawing criticism from experts like Paul Bissonnette.
Paul Bissonnette calls out NHL officiating
On Thursday, it happened again … The Buffalo Sabres had just scored to tie the game 3-3 in the third period against the St. Louis Blues, sending the arena into a frenzy. But, as has happened so many times this season, the goal was challenged by the Blues for goalie interference.
After a few minutes of deliberation, the officials overturned the goal, ruling that Zach Benson was in the crease and interfering with goalie Jordan Binnington. However, many fans and analysts felt Benson was pushed into the crease by an opponent.
Paul Bissonnette seemed to have had enough of the goalie interference calls, taking to X to express his frustration:
“Absolute bullshit goalie interference call on the Sabres. Benson gets pushed into Binnington by the D man. Hose job. This is officially the year of the goalie interference debacle,” he wrote, with many agreeing with his assessment.
Despite the questionable call, the Sabres overcame the adversity. They scored their third goal a few minutes later and, in overtime, Rasmus Dahlin buried a one-timer to give the Sabres a 4-3 win.
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