Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hey Kerry,Absolutely love your column and love your answers. My question is in the Tuesday night game of Red Wings v. Blue Jackets, Cam Atkinson clearly scored Columbus third goal after the net was dislodged. Im confused how the referees were able to decide that the goal was scored before the net came off when it seemed to clearly come off before the goal crossed the line. Im just wondering how the refs came to their conclusion and if it was correct.Thanks Kerry,Jacob Messing Hi Ref,How can a player score when the net is clearly off the mooring> When the net is off the moorings you cant allow a goal. Maybe get a penalty for moving the net, but no goal. Obviously that was the wrong call, and could mean a missed playoff. Are Referees demoted from the playoffs for these terrible calls? Thanks for your answer.Jim Carmody Jacob and Jim:Thank you for your questions on this unique situation that caused many fans to scratch their heads in amazement as to how a goal can be scored with the net clearly off the moorings. I have two personal experiences to share with you that resulted in the formulation and eventual amendment of rule 63.6 which I hope will clear up any confusion. It was under this specific rule that Referee Chris Rooney correctly awarded a goal to Cam Atkinson of the Columbus Blue Jackets after Atkinsons body contacted the post and knocked off its moorings. I provide you with the history of the rule and the correct application. Rule 63.6—In the event that the goal post is displaced, either deliberately or accidentally, by a defending player, prior to the puck crossing the goal line between the normal position of the goalposts, the Referee may award a goal. In order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the puck must have been shot (or the player must be in the act of shooting) at the goal prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts. Now for your first history lesson as to how this rule came about. In the mid 1980s I was assigned to work a game in the St. Louis Arena between the Blues and the Edmonton Oilers. On a particular shift the Oiler stars were sustaining incredible pressure in the Blues end zone. It looked like a shooting gallery against Blues goalkeeper Mike Liut as he slid from side to side making one incredible save after another. That is until one stacked-pad-slide by Liut took the tender well outside of his goal crease. The rebound came right onto the stick of Glenn Anderson standing all alone in the middle slot. As Anderson was about to trigger a shot into the unguarded cage for a sure goal, Blues defenceman Tim Bothwell lifted the net completely off its moorings and began to skate it toward the corner of the rink! Anderson looked puzzled and continued to reposition his feet toward the moving target. I blew the whistle and assessed a delay of game penalty to Bothwell. The Blues killed the penalty and a "sure goal" by Anderson had been averted. I made a rule proposal that was adopted to allow the ref to award a goal if the net was deliberately displaced by a defending player and the attacker shot the puck (or in the act of shooting) and the puck passed through the normal position of the net. The initial rule only applied when the net was "deliberately" displaced. Fast-forward to the modern day NHL and a game I worked in Vancouver between the Canucks and the Sabres. Buffalo created a two-on-one attack with the second Canuck defenceman giving chase. As the attackers approached the net the trailing D made a desperation diving poke-check attempt. The defending players out of control slide knocked the net off its moorings just prior to the shot entering the net. The sure goal had to be disallowed and no penalty could be assessed since the action of the defending player that knocked the net off the mooring was accidental. Due to the fact that a sure goal had been denied through the "actions" of a defending player in both situations (deliberate in St. Louis (80s) and accidental in Vancouver (2000s) the language of the rule was amended to include "accidentally" whenever the specific criteria of rule 63.6 was satisfied. In Tuesdays game Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson took flight on a two-on-one break with Niklas Kronwall defending and his defence partner, Brendan Smith giving chase from behind. Jimmy Howard made a left pad save on Calverts shot but could not control or freeze the rebound. Atkinson attacked the net from the opposite side and initiated a hard stop at the top-inside of the crease with an opportunity to put the loose puck into the net for a sure goal. As Atkinson was positioning his stick to play the puck (act of shooting) Smith made physical contact with his stick and hip on Atkinson that moved the Blue Jackets player into the goal post and knocked the net off of the moorings. Some will say that the contact exerted by Smith was minimal and insufficient to knock the net off the moorings without some responsibility placed on Atkinson. The replay shows that Atkinsons momentum and forward progress was altered significantly and he accelerated from his initial stop inside the top of the crease after the contact by Smith was initiated and completed. It is also evident that Atkinson attempted to push back and stop following the contact by Smith with a second, separate spray of snow from his skate blade. Referee Chris Rooney made an excellent, quick decision when he correctly applied rule 63.6 to award the goal to Atkinson following the actions of Smith that "accidentally" caused the goal post to be displaced prior to the puck crossing the goal line. Watching this play I saw history repeated. Custom Seahawks Jerseys . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit". Cheap Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Online . Therrien would not confirm his lineup for the game, but he did have the same line combinations practicing together for the third straight day which is usually a pretty good indication of what the lineup will be. http://www.cheapseahawks.com/. Heather, the first Gaiter to win the award, set a Canadian Inter-university Sport record with 3,132 passing yards in eight league games, an average of 391.5 yards per game. That beat the mark of 3,047 set only one week earlier by Westerns Will Finch, a Hec Crighton finalist. Seattle Seahawks Cody Barton Jersey . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Discount Seattle Seahawks Jerseys ., climbed from seventh to fifth spot in womens competition Sunday at the ISU world junior figure skating championships.NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez ended his extended and acrimonious fight with Major League Baseball on Friday, withdrawing a pair of lawsuits and accepting a season-long suspension that marks the longest penalty in the sports history related to performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez, who has steadfastly denied using banned substances while with the New York Yankees, made the decision nearly four weeks after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz largely upheld the discipline issued last summer by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "I think its a good move for him," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. "A-Rod had no chance legally, and the commissioner got his authority validated." Rodriguez was among 14 players suspended last summer following MLBs investigation of a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned substances. Given the harshest punishment, A-Rod was the only player to contest his penalty. The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance, arguing Rodriguezs 211-game ban was unwarranted or at the very least excessive. Rodriguez also sued MLB and Selig in October, accusing them of "vigilante justice" as part of a "witch hunt" against him. Horowitz presided over 12 days of hearings last fall highlighted by Rodriguezs decision not to testify. Horowitz concluded on Jan. 11 there was "clear and convincing evidence" Rodriguez used three banned substances over the course of three years -- human growth hormone, testosterone and Insulin-like growth factor 1. Horowitz also ruled A-Rod twice tried to obstruct baseballs investigation, but he nonetheless reduced the suspension to 162 games plus the 2014 post-season after weighing it against baseballs "just cause" standard. Rodriguez sued MLB and the union two days later in federal court in Manhattan, claiming the arbitration process was flawed. But the Supreme Court has established narrow grounds for overturning arbitrators decisions, and legal experts said Rodriguez had virtually no chance of succeeding in his attempt to have Horowitzs decision vacated. Without making any admissions, Rodriguezs lawyers filed notices of dismissal in both cases Friday. MLB issued a low-key statement calling the decision to end the litigation "prudent." "We believe that Mr. Rodriguezs actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow major league players," the sport said. "We share that desire." Rodriguez had angered many of his fellow players by suing his own union in an attempt to avoid a suspension. Withdrawing the lawsuits was perhaps the start of mending relationnships with fellow players.dddddddddddd "Alex Rodriguez has done the right thing by withdrawing his lawsuit," the union said in a statement. "His decision to move forward is in everyones best interest." Rodriguez in 2009 admitted he used banned substances from 2001-03 while with Texas, before baseball had penalties in place for PEDs. After MLBs investigation was sparked 13 months ago by a report in Miami New Times, Rodriguez repeatedly said he had not failed any drug test and claimed evidence provided to MLB by Anthony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis of America clinic, was not trustworthy. When Horowitz issued his decision, the three-time AL MVP defiantly proclaimed, "No player should have to go through what I have been dealing with." He announced, "I am exhausting all options to ensure not only that I get justice, but that players contracts and rights are protected." But a few hours after the Arizona Diamondbacks became the first team this year to start spring training workouts, and with the Yankees a week from opening camp, Rodriguez folded quietly. He was in Miami on Friday and made no public remarks. "The statements that were issued say everything that needs to be said. We have no further comments on this matter," Joseph Tacopina, one of Rodriguezs nine attorneys, said in an email. Tacopina said Rodriguez no longer intended to report this month to the Yankees training camp in Tampa, Fla. Suspensions only cover regular-season games and the post-season, with exhibitions specifically exempted. Rodriguez will lose most of his $25 million salary -- Horowitz ruled he is entitled to 21-183rds, which comes to $2,868,852.46. The third baseman will be 39 when he is eligible to return in a year, and he has incentive to play during the final three seasons of his contract. The Yankees owe him $21 million in 2015 and $20 million in each of the final two seasons of the record $275 million, 10-year deal. But the 14-time All-Star has been hobbled by injuries in recent years and has not played a full season since 2007. The timing of Rodriguezs decision was set in motion by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who on Jan. 30 told the players lawyers to respond by Friday to arguments from MLB and the union that the case should be dismissed. Rodriguez does have one lawsuit remaining. He sued Yankees physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York State Supreme Court in October, claiming they mishandled his medical care during the 2012 AL playoffs. Rodriguez later was diagnosed with a hip injury that required surgery and did not return to the Yankees until Aug. 5 -- hours after his suspension was announced by Selig. 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