An Eye on Time in the NHL

Time means a lot during an NHL game, and it’s never meant more to the Columbus Blue Jackets than it does now.

It was on February 1 that the Blue Jackets ran into their first problem with the time clock. Playing against the Los Angeles Kings, the clock was winding down just as Drew Doughty of the Kings put one into Columbus’ net. It looked like there was a fraction of a second left on the clock, but it was later found out that the clock had malfunctioned. Doughty’s goal should never have counted. This caused a stir throughout the league, with even talk that the timekeepers should be viewed as somewhat suspect, as it’s their responsibility to make sure that they can keep the clocks in good working order. Or at least notify someone if they’re not; preferably before the game and preferably before someone scores a post-game goal.

Colin Campbell, senior vice president of hockey operations in the NHL, started an investigation immediately; both of the clock at the Staples Center where the original incident took place, as well as all the other arenas in the league. Soon after he released a statement saying, “We have initiated a number of steps to ensure there will be no clock issues in all arenas of the NHL. We are observing all “last minutes” of each period to make sure there are no ‘blips’ or ‘pauses’ in the last minute in the video booths upstairs.” Campbell also said in the emailed statement that the clock’s manufacturer, Daktronics, had looked at the clock and found nothing wrong with it. Wanting to undo any talk of wrongdoing, Campbell was also quick to say that “the off-ice crew working that game had been interviewed,” and he was “completely satisfied with the clock operator.”

But not being met with an answer to their problem wasn’t the last of it for the Blue Jackets; they had another time clock problem this past Sunday night. This time thankfully, the consequence of the problem was felt by their opponents, the New York Rangers. Already up by a goal, Michael Del Zotto for the Rangers scored a goal late in the second period, hoping to put his team up by two. Instead though, it was found that time had expired and the goal was waved off. This time though, neither the clock nor the crew could be to blame. That goal was due to the “burn in clock,” which is the one viewers see when they’re watching the game. The official clock in Toronto though had indeed run out, and so the reason for the official call.

Hopefully that will be the last of it for the Blue Jacket’s clock troubles; and hopefully for the rest of the league. With playoffs fast approaching, time is more crucial now than ever and many teams are just trying to make sure they don’t run out of it.

Categorized in: NHL