Situation Room live blog for ‘NHL Frozen Frenzy’

Editor's note: With 16 games on the NHL schedule Tuesday, ESPN+ and ESPN2 will again be hosting “NHL Frozen Frenzy,” a whip-around show that will take fans to all 16 arenas. While they will be busy on the TV side, the folks in the NHL Situation Room in Toronto will be just as busy, keeping an eye on all the games, calls and video challenges. NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen is in Toronto and will take NHL.com readers inside the Situation Room with a live blog all night long.

10:40 p.m. ET

Half the games have gone final and some of the game loggers are heading for the exits.

There has been exactly one, ONE, coaches challenge through eight full games. That's one review, one release from the Situation Room.

It happened in the first period of the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks game that is still going on in the third period. The Canucks lead 4-2, by the way, and Danton Heinen's goal at 10:46 of the first period was confirmed as a good goal on the ice after a coaches challenge for offside initiated by the Blackhawks.

It was a strange one with Kiefer Sherwood of the Canucks taking the puck into the zone, losing possession, tagging up by getting his skate on the blue line and then regaining possession. Had he not tagged up and just gathered the puck again it would have been offside, but the tag up made it legal.

But that's the only challenge so far with seven games going on and one still to start. The Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings are set to get going around 11:20 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The room has quieted down with some of the loggers having gone home, but the core of Colin Campbell, Kris King, Rod Pasma and Kay Whitmore remains. They're at their stations in the front of the room, like they're captaining a ship with 16 86-inch television screens in front of them.

The night is only halfway done. Keep hitting refresh. We're not near done yet.

10:30 p.m. ET

The focus clearly is on the games going on, but the conversation on the local broadcasts about plays that were reviewed are also monitored in here.

For example, Colin Campbell, the senior executive VP of hockey operations, just told Ryan Bottum, who is logging the game between the Blackhawks and Canucks, to listen to the interview on Chicago's broadcast between Caley Chelios and Blackhawks assistant Derek King.

Campbell told Bottum that they might ask King about the offside challenge that went against the Blackhawks in the first period.

Remember, after that challenge occurred the linesmen went to the Blackhawks bench to explain that Kiefer Sherwood of the Canucks had possession, lost it, tagged up to the blue line and regained possession, which is why he was not offside. But linesman Mitch Hunt told the Situation Room that he explained it and the Blackhawks did not understand the interpretation of the rule.

So, when Campbell saw that King was being interviewed, he wanted Bottum to monitor it to see if he was asked about it and what he said. Nothing came of it, but Campbell was hoping after time and seeing it that the Blackhawks coaching staff would understand the decision and why it was made.

Point being, not only are they watching in here, they're listening too.

10:10 p.m. ET

Connor McDavid's goal that made it 2-0 Edmonton at 2:30 of the second period got a quick look in here.

The question: Did he push Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen with his stick and that enable the puck to go in?

This is happening in real time, so as soon as that puck went in, Kris King, the executive VP of hockey operations, went over to Tyler May, who is logging the game, and said, "Let me see that one."

The verdict: "It's on his stick the whole time," King said.

"That's a good hockey play," said Kay Whitmore, the group VP of hockey operations.

10 p.m. ET

You almost hesitate to say it in here for fear that a veteran of the Situation Room is going to get angry at you, but I'll say it anyway:

It's relatively quiet in here right now.

Since the coaches challenge for offside in Chicago there has not been much for the loggers here to look at and potentially review.

There was Jacob Trouba's hit on Justin Barron, but that was quickly deemed to be legal, and it's not a goal anyway.

I mentioned that it's quiet in here to Kris King, the executive VP of hockey operations, and he quickly shushed me and told me I wouldn't be allowed back.

I guess it's faux pas to comment if it's quiet, because, well, if it gets noisy then it's on me.
But it's not noisy.

Maybe this is my way of saying I hope there's some more reviews in the next hour or two. The commotion in here when that coaches challenge happened was exciting.

By the way, Ken Holland is still here, still sitting at the main table with King, Colin Campbell, Rod Pasma and Kay Whitmore, still taking in all the action.

And the Blue Jackets just scored again.

9:35 p.m. ET

Montreal has called in to say they may be calling a major on Jacob Trouba for his monster hit on Justin Barron.

Barron remains down as they have gone to a television timeout.

There is no penalty for Trouba's hit. Mike Matheson received an instigator minor for going after Trouba after the hit. They both got five minutes for fighting.

But here in the Situation Room, all agreed it was a good, clean hit by Trouba and that Barron needs to recognize he's vulnerable to be hit in that position and needs to be prepared for it.

Rob Shick, the officiating manager working the Situation Room tonight, then got on the headset with Marc Joannette, who is the officiating manager working the game at Bell Centre, to tell him that during the next break get on the phone with the on-ice officials and let them know that it was looked at multiple times here in the Situation Room and all agreed with their decision in real time to not give Trouba a penalty for the hit.

Shick said it's good to let the officials on the ice know in real time that the call they made was the right call. He said it gives them the confidence to know they're doing a good job and to keep doing it even as coaches, in this case Martin St. Louis of the Canadiens, are yelling at them and players are emotional in the moment too.

9:25 p.m. ET

Did the puck hit the official at Prudential Center?

There was some thought that J.J. Moser's goal for the Lightning that extended their lead to 8-4 in New Jersey hit the official before going in the net.

The person on the headset in the penalty box called into the Situation Room to say that's why they were holding up the game.

It was a weird one with Moser banking the puck off the glass and the puck taking an awkward bounce to go directly into the vacated net. Goalie Jake Allen was behind the net ready to play what should have been a rim around that never happened.

It was determined here and at Prudential Center that the puck never hit the official and it was a good goal.

Meanwhile, Kris King is attempting to get in touch with the linesmen in Chicago to tell him to go tell Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson why the coaches challenge for offside in the first period went against him.

King said by now Richardson has probably seen the play because it's in between periods and saw why it was a legal tag up by Kiefer Sherwood and a good goal by Danton Heinen 15 seconds later, but he said it's sometimes better when an official goes to talk to the coach.

King couldn't get in touch with a linesmen in the officials' room in between periods, but he talked to the person on the headset and told him to relay the message when they come back out for the second period.

King eventually got on with Mitch Hunt, one of the linesman, who explained that the Blackhawks coaching staff did not understand the ruling of how Sherwood was onside, disagreeing that he left the puck and lost possession.

Either way, King was happy with the fact that they went to try to explain the call to them anyway.

9:15 p.m. ET

It is about keeping the officials on the mark too, which is why there is disagreement in here on some calls, like the goalie interference called on Devils forward Dawson Mercer at 5:44 of the third period at Prudential Center.

In here, the feeling is that Mercer was shoved into Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson by Victor Hedman. If you were watching the game, clearly Devils coach Sheldon Keefe felt it was not a goalie interference, and that was the feeling in here too.

"That's a good hockey play," one of the loggers in here said.

"Sheldon is going crazy on the bench, and he's right," another said.

But not so fast. Rob Shick, the former on-ice official working the Situation Room tonight, told me that you have to look at the review and see where the low official is and think about what he's seeing.

Shick said it's on Mercer, the attacking player, to make a reasonable attempt to avoid contact with the goalie. In this case, he said he doesn't think Mercer did make a reasonable attempt and that's probably what the on-ice official saw as well, which led to the goalie interference penalty.

Regardless, Shick said that is an example of a penalty call that will be clipped and reviewed with the on-ice official who made the call to get his viewpoint on it. Shick, though, seems to agree with the call.

9 p.m. ET

We've got an offside challenge in Chicago. Should Danton Heinen's goal at 10:46 count to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead? Was Kiefer Sherwood offside when he brought the puck into the zone?

Right away, Kris King, the executive vice president of hockey operations, got on the headset to talk with the referees. Rob Shick, the former on-ice official working in the room, also got on a headset to talk it through.

They're watching the review, winding it back to see Sherwood's skate placement in relation to the puck. Rod Pasma, the group VP of hockey operations, comes over and asks if Sherwood tags back up before he touches the puck again.

They look further and, yes, the first look definitely shows Sherwood loses the puck and as he does he reaches his skate back to the blue line, touching it, which indicates a tag up. He then touches the puck again after tagging up.

"He tags up and gets this puck," King said. "So I think he's onside."

King continues to talk with the referees to determine what angle they want to see.

Now Colin Campbell, the senior executive VP of hockey operations, comes over to get involved. Shick is talking it through with Campbell, showing him the tag up.

"I think we put them in the box, this is onside," King said, referring to the delay of game penalty the Blackhawks are about to get for a failed coaches challenge. "It's a different one, but this is the right call, guys."

Just as he said that, King follows with, "Hang on a second, I'm getting one more look."

He pauses for a second.

"Yes, this is onside," he said.

"I don't think he meant to do that," Campbell said.

Regardless, Sherwood is onside and Heinen's goal is good.

Shick and Campbell continue talk about it further after the review is completed, showing the stick is off the puck as Sherwood tags back up and then he gains possession again after the tag up.

Several loggers in here have said they haven't seen a review like that before, an offside challenge where the player in question pulled himself offside and then on his own tagged up before touching the puck again in a legal fashion.

King then went on ESPN to talk about it, joking with John Buccigross, Kevin Weekes and P.K. Subban, "We were having a quiet night until you guys got involved."

8:45 p.m. ET

"There is a close play in Columbus," called out Tom Masters, who is logging that game between the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets.

"He's covering it on the line, but we can't see," Masters said, referring to Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby.

Rod Pasma, the group VP of hockey operations who is working the communication to the ice level at every arena tonight, called Nationwide Arena and had them stop the game so they can go on the headsets.

Pasma got on the headset with referee T.J. Luxmore, who is working the game.

Luxmore asked Pasma if he needed to make an announcement.

Pasma told him, "Just sit tight."

"There's nothing that says this puck is in," said Kay Whitmore, the group VP of hockey operations who is looking over Masters' shoulder at his station.

Pasma then told Luxmore, "We're OK," and to resume play.

And we have our first review of the night that involved stopping the game to make sure of a goal or no goal situation.

A few moments later, Sean Monahan scored and Masters called out, "Goal in Columbus."

This one required no review.

8:25 p.m. ET

Goal in Buffalo, but there was some brief discussion about it in here.

Goal in New Jersey, but there was a call in from the video goal judge at Prudential Center just in case.

Peyton Krebs scored in Buffalo by batting the puck into the net with his backhand. Tyler Johnston, who is logging the game, quickly called out, "Goal in Buffalo." Rod Pasma told him to take a look. Johnston did. It was quick.

"Stick is low. It's good."

Johnston put the replay up on the big screen to show everyone. All agreed it was good. No need to stop the game.

Brandon Hagel scored for the Lightning against the Devils at Prudential Center. The video goal judge at Prudential Center immediately called into the Situation Room to say he thought there might have been contact with the goalie and that a challenge could be coming so he was going to tell them to keep the penalty box door open just in case.

A first look showed that there was no contact initiated and that the goal was good. They looked at it a few more times in here and were confident that there was no goalie contact. There was no challenge so they said close the door and play on.

It lasted one minute and 11 seconds, which in here seems like an eternity.

Pasma told me it's about getting the game going.

"If there's nothing, we've got to move on, roll along," he said.

8:10 p.m. ET

Kris King and Rod Pasma are working on trying to set up the 86-inch screens in front of them with the eighth and ninth games of the night set to start.

There are eight screens across and two down giving them 16 to watch on the main television wall. When there are eight or fewer games they can set up the screens to have the live game going on the top and the logger's review screen on the bottom.

Basically, what that means is they can get the live view and a review screen going at the same time. But when there is a ninth game starting one of the top eight games can't have the double screen.

So King, the executive VP of hockey operations, and Pasma, the group VP of hockey operations, are figuring out the best way to maximize all the action, understanding that with more games still to start as the early games are still in action the less screens will be available for the double box, to steal an NFL RedZone term.

There is a visual aesthetic needed here to maximize viewing based on where the eyes will go. So they're going to go middle out, meaning the games in the middle of the board will go single box and the games on the outside will stay in the double box.

Eventually, it'll spread where it'll be mostly single box for all the games.

Of course, each logger has four screens with different views of the same game in front of him.

7:35 p.m. ET

There was almost some commotion here when the puck was cleared off the goal line by the Dallas Stars in the first period of their game at the Buffalo Sabres.

Tyler Johnston, who is logging the game, quickly went to the review on the bottom right of his four-box screen to see the play.

"The puck is pulled off the goal line," Johnston called out loudly. "We're good here."

The video goal judge in Buffalo then called into the Situation Room to let Rod Pasma, who is running the communications with the rink, know that he is taking one more look at that play.

It was clear that Stars defenseman Thomas Harley pulled the puck away from the goal line before it crossed. But Johnston called it out loudly just to be sure everyone in here knew it was good.

"Ty, you just called that out loudly even though it wasn't even close just to get on TV," said Michael Andlauer, joking to Johnston as he logs the Capitals-Flyers game right next to him.

"I thought ESPN was going live here," Johnston joked back.

ESPN will be going live here in the Situation Room for three minutes at 8:40 p.m. ET.

7:25 p.m. ET

I just had a conversation with Rob Shick, who is the senior manager of officiating supervision. Shick is former on-ice official on duty in the Situation Room tonight. There is always one former on-ice official who is working in the Situation Room for every game.

Shick's job tonight is to be a part of any review involving a coach's challenge or a potential game stoppage, like a puck that went off the mesh behind the net or a high sticking penalty that is being reviewed for a potential double minor.

He won't get involved in an official capacity in reviews involving pucks that are kicked or gloved into the net, but if there is a review for a coach's challenge or a stoppage that's when he steps in.

There are former officials working for the NHL at 10 of 16 games tonight. Those former on-ice officials will do a breakdown of the game they're at and speak with the on-ice officials about calls and what they saw. The idea is to keep checks and balances, make sure the on-ice officials see their calls in real time and get a look at them in a review process.

Shick will handle the other six games tonight. He will get an email with clips from all of the game, go through them and then consult with the officials.

That's not part of tonight, but it's part of his job. For now, though, he's watching everything in here and waiting for the moment he has to get involved. He'd rather not, because if he's not needed that means everything is clean and normal, but inevitably it will happen.

7:10 p.m. ET

Joel Eriksson Ek just scored for the Minnesota Wild, putting them up 2-0. As he was raising his arms to celebrate and his teammates on the ice were coming over to him, Sean Ellis, the VP of hockey operations and official scoring manager, who is logging that game, was rewinding to the start of the play to make sure he was prepared just in case there was a need to review the goal.

Ellis wound the goal back to Eriksson Ek's zone entry and watched the entire sequence. By the time he was finished watching the goal, rewinding it twice, in fact, to watch it two times, Eriksson Ek was on the Wild's bench and the game was set to resume.

Everything was legal, so there was no need for a review or a challenge, but Ellis had to watch it back quickly to be ready just in case something about the goal was in question.

If he waited, and there was a reason to initiate a review process, either from the Situation Room or via a coach's challenge, the review would have taken that much longer, pausing the game that much longer.

This is part of the game logger's job. They can't miss a thing.

"Puck is going down in Buffalo boys, get excited," Tyler Johnston just said.

Johnston is logging that game between the Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars.

He is sitting at one of the 14 logger stations here with four screens in front of him, each showing a different angle, including one that has a split screen overhead of both goalies.

6:50 p.m. ET

The second game of the night is under way, the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.

As the game was starting, Kris King, the executive VP of hockey operations, asked out loud to no one in particular if Matthew Tkachuk is playing tonight for the Panthers. Kay Whitmore, group VP of hockey operations, confirmed that he is.

Colin Campbell, the senior executive VP of hockey operations, then said, "No Barkov, though."

Aleksander Barkov is not playing, Rod Pasma, group VP of hockey operations, confirmed.

Barkov, the Panthers captain, is missing his sixth straight game with a lower-body injury. Tkachuk, the Panthers forward, is back after missing five games in a row with an illness.

Why does it matter to Pasma, King, Whitmore, Campbell and the game loggers in here?

Because they want to know too. That's why.

Campbell, by the way, is now rewatching the fight between Flyers forward Nicolas Deslauriers and Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath. Whitmore pulled up the clip to show him so he could get a closer look at it.

Campbell watched it and moved on. It'll be logged, though, and if anyone wants to see it again the clip will be available.

6:35 p.m. ET

Minutes ago, Rod Pasma was talking to Bell Centre in Montreal, to the person on the headset at ice level and the person on the headset in the video room upstairs. The point of the conversation is to make sure the technology is working.

Every arena hosting a game is required to check in with the Situation Room an hour before puck drop to make sure the video is going to the official's iPad in the penalty box area and the communication is working so there could be a talk back to the Situation Room.

Pasma lets the person on the headset know which game logger they will be working with that night. The game logger will then check in with the person on the headset at ice level moments before puck drop to ensure everything is still in working order.

Pasma told me it will eventually happen that they will have to quickly talk to the person on the headset in the penalty box area to let them know the Situation Room is closely looking at a goal and to keep the penalty box door open until the goal is confirmed or if there is a coaches challenge coming.

Making sure the technology works is, of course, essential.

There will be 32 check-ins tonight, 16 an hour before puck drop and 16 more just before puck drop.

6:25 p.m. ET

The first fight of the night came at 6:17 p.m. ET, exactly eight minutes into the Frozen Frenzy. It's Dylan McIlrath of the Capitals and Nicolas Deslauriers of the Flyers.

"I'm tired just watching his right now," Kay Whitmore said.

"Hey, they're both cut," Rod Pasma said. "That's a beauty."

With only one game going on, the game loggers in here plus Whitmore, Pasma and Kris King, the executive vice president of hockey operations, are all chatting about the Flyers and Capitals, reacting to every play.

It should be noted that everyone in here is doing their job, but everyone in here is also a fan of the game. You have to be to watch every second of every game the way they do in here. And when something happens in a game, be it a goal or a fight, as we've already seen one of each tonight, the buzz in the room gets louder.

The Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers are close to puck drop at Amerant Bank Arena.

6:15 p.m. ET

We're underway.

Kris King, the executive VP of hockey operations, Rod Pasma, the group VP of hockey operations, and Kay Whitmore, also a group VP of hockey operations, are sitting at the main desk, almost like they're captaining the Starship Enterprise.Ken Holland, the former GM of the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, is sitting with them. Holland, like me, is taking in a night in the Situation Room, only he's just watching. Maybe I should have him do some writing.

It took 51 seconds into the first game of the night between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers for Whitmore to get up and go over to Michael Andlauer, who is logging the game, find out if there was a tripping in the corner. He wanted a closer look.

It was nothing, so he walked away and went back to his spot at the main work station where the captains of the room are sitting.

The Flyers and Capitals are the only game going now and that's why it is covering a four-box of screens, one entire quadrant of the main wall of screens, plus it's on the screens on each ends of the room and Andlauer's screen.

The first goal of the night is on the board. Nic Dowd for the Capitals at 3:49 of the first period.

There are some comments about how smart of a player Dowd is, how he protected the puck before lifting it in with his backhand.

No question about that goal, so play goes on.

6:05 p.m. ET

We are minutes away from puck drop and some hockey royalty just walked in the room.

Ken Holland, the Hockey Hall of Famer and former general manager of the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, is here with his son, Brad, who was an assistant GM with the Oilers the past two seasons.

Brad lives in the Toronto area and Ken is visiting his family, but he wanted to check out the Situation Room on what will be a busy night, so this is his opportunity.

Rod Pasma, the group VP of hockey operations, is introducing Ken Holland to everyone in the room, making sure he meets all of the people who will be logging games tonight. Ken is talking golf with Tyler Johnston, a senior manager of hockey operations, and Michael Andlauer, a manager of hockey operations and Central Scouting.

"Alright, we're rolling," Pasma just said.

Here we go.

5:50 p.m. ET

Rod Pasma, the group vice president of hockey operations, seems to be the one in here that will be keeping things light as the action gets going.

A few minutes ago he went up to one of the IT guys in here and first asked, "Are you ready to roll?" before saying, "I'm going to break something when we've got like 15 games going on at once just to test you."

Pasma then went to Tyler Johnston, the senior manager of hockey operations who is here as a game logger, and told him he looked ready to go, even complimenting him on getting a haircut for the big night.

Pasma has just settled into his seat and opened his microphone to talk to someone at Nationwide Arena.

"Hey Columbus," Pasma said.

He eased some concern about the video guy at Nationwide Arena not being set up yet.

The Blue Jackets’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs doesn't start until 7:30 p.m. ET.

"You're OK," Pasma said, before flipping the switch to sign off from his conversation with Columbus.

5:35 p.m. ET

The Situation Room is beginning to stir as we are approaching 30 minutes away from the first puck drop of the night in Philadelphia.

Kris King, Rod Pasma, Sean Ellis and Brad Smith have been in here for about an hour already. King is the executive vice president of hockey operations. Pasma is a group VP of hockey operations. Ellis is the vice president of hockey operations and the official scoring manager. Smith is the director of technical services.

Kay Whitmore arrived a few minutes ago. He's also a group vice president.

More game loggers are arriving.

This is the central hub of the NHL world, where every decision on every goal is made, where rule changes are born, where every game is logged and every call made by every official on the ice is analyzed and dissected.

And this is the busiest night of the season with 16 games going on, starting from 6 p.m. ET through 11 p.m. ET. It won't end here until close to 2 a.m. ET, when the final buzzer in the last game of the night between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings sounds.

I'm in the back of the room with Smith and his IT group to my left. There are four here plus Smith making sure the operation is running smoothly, that there are no technical problems, or if there are they can get fixed right away.

I have a full view of the room, including the 16 large screens on the main wall. King, Whitmore, Pasma and Colin Campbell, the senior executive vice president of hockey operations who runs the room, at a row of stations directly in front of the wall of screens.

There will be 12 game loggers here by the middle of game action, with four assigned to two games. They are spread around the room, each with their own station that has four screens. They log everything they see, clipping it and color coding it based on the system they have.

Yellow is for penalties and missed calls. Red is for injuries and player safety clips. Blue is for coach's challenges, video reviews, close plays around the net. Green is for embellishment, arena operations or equipment issues. Purple focuses on officiating. Grey is no calls on plays that aren't clear cut.

These clips can be used for a number of purposes, including officiating review and education, trends in the game that could lead to rule changes, or the need for further interpretation on current rules the way we have seen in recent years for slashing and cross checking.

It starts here, and it's going to get busy soon.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals are on the ice for warmups.