"The officiating is broken": NHL fans react to Eeli Tolvanen running over a referee while going for the puck

In a shocking turn of events during Saturday's game between the Seattle Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings, forward Eeli Tolvanen collided with referee Furman South from behind while in pursuit of the puck. The incident quickly gained attention on social media, with the popular hockey podcast Spittin' Chiclets sharing a video post on X (formerly Twitter) and captioning it:

"Tolvanen went to the Dennis Wideman hitting clinic."

As the video circulated, NHL fans took to X to express their opinions on the unexpected collision.

One fan remarked:

"The officiating is broken…Maybe that will help clear the vision. Maybe this should happen once a game to keep the refs honest. Then they can feel like a boarded defenseless player."

Another disgruntled fan voiced their discontent, stating:

"Tired of their shit calls."

A fan vented:

"Refs always in the middle of the play. Get the f*** outta the way."

Another fan emphasized the importance of player responsibility, commenting:

"Gotta ease up when you see numbers. Elementary stuff here."

One fan drew a comparison between Tolvanen's hit and Dennis Wideman's, noting:

"Wideman’s hit looked less intentional."

The online discourse among NHL fans showcased a range of opinions, from frustration with officiating to calls for increased player responsibility.

The referees for the game were Furman South (#13) and Brian Pochmara (#16), supported by linesmen Kiel Murchison (#79) and Joe Mahon (#89).

Seattle Kraken's Eeli Tolvanen collides with NHL referee Furman South

During Saturday's game between the Seattle Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings, forward Eeli Tolvanen collided with referee Furman South from behind. The incident occurred while the Kraken were on the powerplay, tied 1-1 in the second period. As Tolvanen attempted to check Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson along the boards, South, the referee, inadvertently ended up in his path.

Despite Tolvanen's efforts to minimize contact, he couldn't avoid driving South into the boards.

South, originally from Pennsylvania, has officiated 289 regular-season games since his NHL debut in 2017. He transitioned to officiating after playing college hockey at Robert Morris University and became a full-time NHL official in the 2021-22 season.

South has faced injuries this season, including an incident in November where he caught a high stick on a faceoff from Jamie Benn in the Dallas Stars vs. Columbus Blue Jackets game.