Maple Leafs’ tying goal was wiped off the board on a controversial, confusing hand pass ruling

The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have deserved to win this game, but a controversial official ruling cost them a chance to try.

On Monday, the Maple Leafs were playing host to the winless Arizona Coyotes in an early season bout. Through two periods, the Maple Leafs looked listless as the Coyotes built a 2-0 lead on their opponents, but Toronto made a furious comeback in the third to tie the game.

After Shayne Gostisbehere regained the lead for the Coyotes on a power play with less than two minutes remaining, things were looking dire for the Maple Leafs. With 39 seconds left in the game, however, Alexander Kerfoot seemingly tied up the game for the Maple Leafs with a stellar goal. Unfortunately, the goal wouldn’t stand as Morgan Rielly was called for a hand pass just before Kerfoot’s tally.

Wait, what? Sure, Rielly does stop the puck with his hand, but to call a hand pass — intentionally directing the puck to a teammate — in that situation feels quite absurd. Here’s how the NHL’s rulebook defines a hand pass.

That’s a rough one to take right there. The Coyotes ended up beating the Maple Leafs 4-2 thanks to the controversial call, a wound that will certainly sting until the two teams meet again in late December on ESPN+.

Maple Leafs fans were not happy about the call, to say the least.