Stalock mistakenly skates to bench for delayed penalty that wasn't
Wild goalie thought call was going to be made, had to return to net
by Pat Pickens @Pat_Pickens / NHL.com Staff Writer
Alex Stalock headed to the bench thinking his team would be getting a power play. Except neither official had his arm raised.
The Minnesota Wild goalie mistakenly left the net after he thought there was a delayed penalty then booked it back to the crease during the first period of Minnesota's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Stalock thought Marcus Foligno was hooked while driving to the net, so he went to the bench for an extra skater on the delayed penalty. But neither official intended to make a call.
"I saw [Foligno] kind of get hooked when he was going to the net," Stalock said after the game. "I don't know if he said no call or his arm moved, but I went off."
The Wild players on the bench were surprised to see Stalock on the bench then yelled at him to return to the crease as the Wild held the puck in their own zone.
"We were all shocked," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I didn't even know he was on the bench until we were telling him to get back there."
Captain Ryan Suter held onto the puck so Stalock could get back in. Fortunately the Wild weren't burned by the mistake.
"I tried to stay calm," Stalock said. "Thank God we had the puck. [Suter] made a good play just holding onto [the puck] and allowing me to get back."
NHL.com Independent Correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report.