Gabriel Landeskog was among the players asked which rule they’d change in ESPN’s annual NHL superstar poll, and the Colorado Avalanche captain went after something fans have been complaining about for years.
His issue isn’t with a rule exactly, but with how officials apply it. Under Rule 64, a player who dives or embellishes to draw a penalty can be assessed unsportsmanlike conduct – and if the referee also judges that the original foul occurred, both penalties get called, sending a player from each team to the box and leaving the teams at even strength.
Gabriel Landeskog on diving
Landeskog has never been able to make sense of it.
“Not so much of a rule as it’s a judgment call, but it’s when you call a tripping and an embellishment at the same time. Oh my God, it drives me nuts. And I’m always talking to the refs about it, and they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t know,'” Landeskog said.
He went on to argue that officials should simply decide which offense was worse and call that one.
“It’s really like it just has to be one or the other. I think that’s common sense. I understand there can be a little bit of both, but if you’re giving out a penalty, just pick one. Which one was worse? Was the dive worse or was the tripping worse?” Landeskog said.
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The response from fans was immediate, and almost entirely in agreement.
“This is 100 percent true. If someone embellishes and you rule it that way, it should be a power play against the offending diver’s team. It’s one way to encourage people to actually stay on their feet unless it’s an actual trip,” one fan wrote.
“This I agree with. How can it be tripping AND diving? It’s one or the other. Stupidest thing ever,” another said.
“One of my biggest pet peeves in hockey! Either it’s a penalty or it’s embellishment! Calling both does nothing to affect a game!” a third added.
“Gabe with good takes as always,” someone else put it simply.
Landeskog wasn’t the only player to take aim at the rulebook in the poll. Matt Coronato suggested that a team shouldn’t lose its power play after scoring on it, saying penalties should run the full two minutes regardless, while another player pointed to icing the puck while shorthanded.
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