Questions about throwing the puck and potential penalties.

[timelydew]

I have kind of a two-part question about penalties and throwing the puck. It's more convoluted than I thought after reading the relevant rules.

 

Is catching the puck in the air and immediately "throwing" it anywhere but straight down to your stick (say it's generally thrown a few feet ahead or to the side of the player catching it) a penalty for closing your hand on the puck? I'm picturing a basic catch and throw or toss.

 

The rule says it must be placed or knocked down to the ice "immediately" if caught in midair, so I take it you must literally place it down near the stick in virtually one motion? Obviously, it can't be held on to for any length of time at all, so imagine it's immediate. It doesn't elaborate on that point; it just goes right on to talking about catching it and skating ahead with it to gain territory or avoid a check. I know you can't pick the puck up off the ice - I'm just strictly talking a catch in midair followed by a throw. I imagine it generally should be called a penalty. It's hockey, not rugby or football.

 

The second part to this is concerning throwing the puck out of play. If the first part of my question is indeed a penalty, I suppose that eliminates any skater except the goalie. If it isn't, well, apply this to anybody.

 

Under delay of game, 63.7 says a penalty results if the puck is deliberately thrown, shot, or batted out of play; this is from anywhere on the ice. However, this is listed separately from, but immediately next to, puck over glass, where it says that it's a penalty if shot or batted over the glass from the dzone, and this of course applies to unintentional plays. No mention of a throw. So if the puck is thrown out mistakenly from the dzone, is it not delay of game? Language is very specific, and again the rules are listed right next to each other under rule 63.7, so you can't imagine they forgot about including it. Or does closing your hand on the puck negate this scenario entirely? I feel confident it may. Would they just call delay of game instead if it goes out?

 

Again, say it is a closing your hand penalty, so we're left with a goalie. I know it's a penalty if he throws the puck forward, so imagine he throws it off to the side and it goes up and hits the netting. Would a ref be justified in invoking a penalty for deliberately throwing it out? You'd figure any toss that goes out of play from a goalie would be intentional or at least look the part, because it would have to be strong.

 

Well... There you go. The rules here are just a little murkier than I thought. Any responses? Sorry for the length. It's a question of many moving parts.