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Flyers Notes: Flyers ask NHL for clarification of Avery Rule

Flyers Notes NEWARK, N.J. - Upset that Mike Richards' overtime goal in Friday's shoot-out loss against Calgary was disallowed, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren believes a clarification of the so-called Sean Avery Rule is in order.

Chris Pronger was called for a penalty which disallowed a Mike Richards goal in OT against the Flames. (Yong Kim / Staff Photographer)
Chris Pronger was called for a penalty which disallowed a Mike Richards goal in OT against the Flames. (Yong Kim / Staff Photographer)Read more
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Flyers Notes

NEWARK, N.J. - Upset that Mike Richards' overtime goal in Friday's shoot-out loss against Calgary was disallowed, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren believes a clarification of the so-called Sean Avery Rule is in order.

Holmgren said he contacted the NHL by e-mail to seek an explanation for why referee Ghislain Hebert called an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on defenseman Chris Pronger after Richards' apparent goal looked to have given the Flyers a win.

"I didn't really talk to anybody," Holmgren said after the Flyers suffered their second straight shoot-out loss, this one to the Devils, 2-1. "They stand behind the referee's call."

The Avery Rule was added as an unsportsmanlike infraction after Sean Avery gave new meaning to distracting a goalie by facing the Devils' Martin Brodeur and waving his arms and stick in front of him during a game in April 2008.

Pronger had his back to Calgary goalie Mikka Kiprusoff when he raised his left arm. Hebert made the call moments after Richards' shot went into the net.

The rule is short on specifics, and Holmgren said it should be addressed.

"I'm sure that's something that will be talked about," he said. "It bothers me that it cost us a chance to win the game."

Leighton plan

Holmgren said goalie Michael Leighton would go to the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL to test his back, perhaps as early as the coming week.

"He's coming along," Holmgren said. "We'll probably have a better idea about a plan of what we're going to do early this week."

Leighton suffered a disk injury in his back during the preseason and has yet to appear in a regular-season game.

Loose pucks

The Flyers were 1 for 32 on the power play before Danny Briere scored with the man advantage in the third period of Saturday's loss. . . . Jeff Carter had nine shots on goal against the Devils. . . . Briere, Claude Giroux, and Richards failed to score during the shoot-out. Nik Zherdev had the Flyers' only shoot-out goal. . . . New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk has one non-shoot-out goal in his last 15 games. . . . Flyers left winger Eric Wellwood was loaned to the Phantoms. Wellwood was available for Saturday's game at Hershey. - Ray Parrillo