After losing to the Humboldt Broncos on Jan. 14, the Melfort Mustangs skated away with the W following a replay on Jan. 15 due to a officiating error. (Becky Zimmer/northeastNOW Staff)
Mustangs' Challenge

Coaches and fans react after officiating error leads to SJHL replay and a Mustang win

Jan 18, 2022 | 4:46 PM

For many it was a strange occurrence on Saturday night in Humboldt when the Broncos and Melfort Mustangs replayed over nine minutes of Saskatchewan junior hockey.

This was in fact due to an error following Humboldt’s second goal at the Northern Lights Palace on Jan. 14 when the Broncos and Mustangs played the first game of a home and home series with the Broncos winning in overtime.

With two players in the penalty box for the Mustangs, the Broncos scored their second of the night to make the score 3-2 midway through the third.

At this point, the number of players on the ice should have changed due to how penalties are served following a goal.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) reported on their website the verdict and ruled early Saturday how the game would be replayed before the puck dropped on the second home and home game. While rosters were intended to be the same as the night before both teams were missing players.

Speaking on the CJVR’s Melody Motors pregame show before Saturday’s games, head coach of the Mustangs, Trevor Blevins said it was more than just a judgment error but a hard and fast technical rule error that ruled in the Broncos favour.

“In our minds, it did affect the outcome of the game and so, you know, we did file and obviously, we’re successful. Mistakes happen…we just felt that the boys there they just wanted a different outcome, you know, for sure that they can control.”

Broncos head coach Scott Barney was also on the CJVR’s Melody Motors pregame show before the game and seemed to take the ruling in stride as he prepped his players for 69 minutes of hockey.

“You get that news like that you’re obviously kind of upset the way things happen but you got to kind of get it from their side I guess as well, Melfort’s side. But yeah, it’s hockey right, you got to have to focus on now the game at hand here.”

Tony Degerness called the game for CJVR on Friday and Saturday, as well as interviewed Barney and Blevins before the game. This is the first time he has seen a replay being granted by the league, and it was not surprising that the Humboldt fans were against the ruling while the Melfort fans were for it.

“I don’t think there’s ever a right way and a wrong way. I guess just depending on how you look at it,” Degerness told northeastNOW.

As for how much difference the points gained or not gained will have in the future, that might be noticed during playoffs.

“Sometimes that point makes a difference of starting the playoffs at home with the home advantage or starting on the road.”

There were some mixed emotions for Broncos fans, said Dan Torwalt, colour commentator for 107.5 The Bolt FM in Humboldt. Fans still left the arena happy as the Broncos did eventually win their regularly scheduled game after losing the nine minute rematch to the Mustangs.

In his 10 years of commentating on the SJHL, he has seen plenty of errors made, however, this is the first time he has seen a challenge leading to minutes being replayed.

Torwalt told northeastNOW, the Humboldt fans were mad with signs and images on the Elgar Petersen Arena jumbotron mocking the ruling.

“I was surprised that, you know, someone would protest on that. Usually it’s a human error and you do go on forward with it, right. But, I guess Melfort had their reasons for filing the protest and the league sided with them.”

The league has to be careful going ahead, said Torwalt. This could set a precedent when it comes to how challenges are handled in the future and this could harm the officials.

“When you maybe make a decision that goes against the referees decision, you know, that’s looked upon as not supporting the refs, right? So, it can cause a little bit of discouragement on behalf of refs if they don’t think that the league is gonna have their back.”

While this may cause teams to look more closely at video replays, Degerness thinks that this is an anomaly.

becky.zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @bex_zim

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