Referee-Zoff in the Penny Del: Haie and Panther in focus!

On January 6, 2025, there were several controversial referee decisions in the Penny del, which polarized the ice hockey scene and participating teams. Kari Jalons, coach of the Cologne Haie, expressed his displeasure with the unknown goal in the game against the Augsburg Panther, which ended with a 2: 3. The gates of Maximilian Kammerer in the 24th minute and by Justin Schütz in the 58th minute were not given because the referees had already whistled before the puck crossed the goal line. Jalons, who did not know all the regulations of the Penny del, brought his confusion into play with an earlier game against ERC Ingolstadt.

In this context, the role of the referees in other games turned out to be problematic. So there was a controversial equalization by Kenny Agostino in the match between ERC Ingolstadt and Iserlohn Roosters, which was achieved by ice skate kick. The game ended 4: 5 after extra time, which further fueled the discussions about the referee services. In addition, there was displeasure in Wolfsburg about a gate for the Grizzlys, which nevertheless won 5: 3 against Straubing.

international referee criticism

In parallel to the events in the DEL, the referee decisions were also questioned at the international level at the U20 World Championship. In particular, the defeat of the Canadians in the quarter -finals against the Czech Republic caused public criticism. Questions about the performance of the referees were addressed at the press conference to the President of the World Association, Luc Tardif. Tardif said that referees occasionally make mistakes and that they are constantly evaluating. He pointed out that it was important to consider the human aspects of the referees.

In another game of the Penny del, the Augsburg Panther lost a decisive match in the relegation battle against the Eisbären Berlin 3: 4 after extra time. The Panther were initially 3-1 in the lead, but controversial punishments finally led to the turn when the polar bears caught up in the final phase and scored the decisive goal in the overtime.

These incidents underline the continuing discussions about the quality of the referee services in ice hockey, both in the national and international area. A fact that significantly influences the mood in the league and fans.