With 2.2 seconds remaining in their AHL game against the Hershey Bears on Tuesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins thought forward Boris Katchouk had scored their second goal within the last minute of regulation to tie the game, 5-5, and force overtime.
Unfortunately, AHL officials had a different idea.
Boris Katchouk tips the puck in with 2.2 seconds to go
It’s deemed no goal
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 12, 2025
Although Katchouk’s play was called a goal on the ice, it was called back by officials due to a high-sticking call. Katchouk later maintained that the puck hit his arm, not his stick. Easy to check the replay and overturn, right?
The trouble is, the AHL still does not have replay.
In addition, an AHL rule – Rule 79.2 – posits that replay cannot be shown in venues while a play is being reviewed. And, well, the replay – according to WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald – was shown “six times in between” the call and the official discussion at the GIANT Center in Hershey, the Bears’ home venue.
In essence, the play could not be overturned, and MacDonald was not happy about any of the circumstances – but, particularly, about the fact that replay has still not made it to the AHL level.
“Whether the call is right or wrong is not necessarily the point of whether the process is right or wrong,” MacDonald told Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey after the game. “At the end of the day, we should have video review for that. We’re in the 2nd best league in the world. In the USHL, we would have had a video review for that.”
“Whether the call is right or wrong is not necessarily the point of whether the process is right/wrong. At the end of the day, we should have video review for that. We’re in the 2nd best league in the world,” #WBSPens HC Kirk MacDonald to @InsideAHLHockey https://t.co/GwYPJL6Yg7
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 12, 2025
Beyond that, the Penguins got off to a slow start. After beating Hershey in an historic 9-0 victory on Jan. 29, they didn’t exactly come out blazing in this one, as they trailed, 3-2, with goals from forwards Emil Bemstrom and Valtteri Puustinen after the first period.
The second period saw them go down, 4-2, before a strong final frame from the Penguins. Avery Hayes cut the lead to 4-3 when he carried the puck from the neutral zone into the attacking zone and weaved through a few Hershey defenders before throwing a seeing-eye backhand shot toward the net.
Hershey went back on top late, 5-3, on an empty-net goal. The Penguins pulled goaltender Joel Blomqvist again, and defenseman Mac Hollowell – who had already led WBS Penguins defenseman in points with 25 assists, including one in this game – finally scored his first goal of the season with 53 seconds remaining in regulation to make it 5-4.
That was, ultimately, the final goal in WBS’s comeback effort, as Katchouk’s tally a bit more than 50 seconds later did not count.
Another noteworthy occurrence at Tuesday night’s game was the large presence of NHL scouts. With the NHL currently on its two-week hiatus for the 4 Nations Face-off, a rare opportunity has emerged for teams to attend AHL games closely for a string of games.
Among the NHL scouts in attendance were representatives from the Anaheim Ducks (two scouts), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Among those on the list scouting tonight’s #WBSPens (PIT) vs. Hershey (WSH) game (and I’m sure there are probably more):
ANA x2, BUF, CHI, DAL, DET, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, TBL, VGK
No NHL hockey & a rare Tuesday night AHL game = Scout City!@InsideAHLHockey
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 11, 2025
Again, it’s worth noting that this is a rare opportunity for scouts to attend games while the NHL season is on break. But considering some of the teams in attendance – and the fact that WBS is the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ AHL affiliate and Hershey is the affiliate of the Washington Capitals – it is a bit interesting, particularly because Anaheim had two scouts in attendance.
The Capitals are likely buyers at the deadline, so some of the bottom-tier teams scouting their AHL talent certainly makes sense. But Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has expressed that he may be willing to deal the newly acquired Rangers’ conditional first-round pick – received from the Vancouver Canucks in the Marcus Pettersson trade – and other draft capital for an elite young player.
Teams such as Anaheim, Buffalo, Dallas, and Chicago may have some of that young talent that Dubas covets. In addition, there is no trade freeze during the 4 Nations break.
Given the easy circumstances for scouts to attend the game – and the fact that Dubas is Team Canada’s Director of Player Personnel and figures to be pretty occupied during 4 Nations – there may not be much to read into. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on in the coming games, especially if there are some repeat scouts in attendance.
WBS’s next game is a Valentine’s Day tilt against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday.
