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There are too many reasons why too many men on ice calls occur
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The Los Angeles Kings celebrate Anze Kopitar's Game 2 overtime goal, scored on a power play after the Vancouver Canucks were called for too many men on the ice.
By Jonathan Hayward, AP

Justin Bourne, a former minor league hockey player, writes a column for USA TODAY during the NHL season.


So, for those of you pulling your hair out this morning going, "How does that happen?", I figured I'd help.

This penalty, though almost always publicly blamed on the coach (by themselves, by the commentators) is nearly never the coaches' fault. It's also almost never the defensemen's fault (actually, I can't ever remember a time when it was).

Yep, it's us forwards.

Coaches call the next line by the center's last name. So for the Canucks, Sedin-Sedin-Burrows goes by "Sedin, you're up", and the two wingers just know that includes them, unless otherwise specified. But specifications come often.

"Sedin, you're up, Kesler, play left side"

Automatically, Burrows is supposed to know that means he's not going, since he's the usual left winger.

But sometimes, you just shut off after you hear your center's name called, or there's some crowd noise after the name, whatever. So if it doesn't register with Burrows that he's not going, two left wingers end up jumping the boards. In loud buildings and tight games, some coaches get super involved to make sure the guys know who's going next, maybe by physically grabbing the usual winger and making sure he knows he's not going. Some coaches switch to shoulder taps and individual "you're going's" when the building gets crazy.

Sometimes players are just brain-dead and think the coach called their line when he didn't, and they jump. (This happens often when your center's last names are, say, Morelli, Pelley and Nelly, like my BCHL team from many years back.)

Then, when coach calls your line, it's the player's responsibility to clarify who you're changing for. Like, physically, out loud, clarify it with your linemates, even if you've been changing for the same guys all season, every shift, because coaches are always tinkering with lines and forward positions.

Burrows is a good example – he can play left or right side, so if Alain Vigneault double-shifts him once, he might have him play left with the Sedins, but right-side when he's out there with Kesler's line.

So the next guy, who thinks Burrows is a left winger, says "I got Burrows" and his right winger will end up having to say "no no no, he's playin' right side, dude."

If that conversation never happens, Burrows comes to the bench, both wingers jump out thinking he's their change, and voila, too many men.

There are times, of course, when it is the coaches' fault. There's a certain level of responsibility that lies with him to clearly communicate his next unit. I've only played on one team where the head coach didn't run the forward lines, and for those who do run them, think about how time-consuming that is. Armchair coaches love to say "I can't believe coach made (blank) decision," but half the game he's looking down at namebars on the bench or his scratch sheet in his hand to figure out which personnel he wants out there.

He has to make it clear who's up, or he's to blame (still, he'll rarely admit it was his fault once the dressing room door closes. Players have to listen closely). But often, he'll assign a line to go next, and only two guys will be able to change, while the third gets stuck out there (don't change going into the defensive zone, etc.). So the coach, seeing two of the guys out there from the line he assigned, will sometimes think the change is complete, and call out the next line.

Let's say the right winger is still waiting to get out there with his linemates, and the right winger on the ice changes. It's the coaches' responsibility to notice this, and tell the right winger who still hasn't got out with his two lines to "sit this shift out, let's start getting the next line out as a unit." Often, if the coach doesn't make that fix, both right wingers who've been called will jump, and again, voila. Too many men. (This usually gets caught if your team communicates well — if either right winger calls out his change, the other will usually hear that, and turn to the coach for a decision: finish this change, or start the next unit?)

There's a million ways it can happen, but I think in general, I've covered the most common. Hope I helped get your head around it.

Still, you'd love to know who caused the meltdown in the Sabres case, leading to the Bruins double OT winner. Good rule of thumb – if you notice that the coach has sent a good player to the box (maybe one who'd normally kill penalties) after a too many men call – where he can pick who sits from the guys on the ice — it was probably that guy's fault. It's priceless how often the scatterbrain who jumped the boards when he wasn't supposed to gets chosen (in yell form) to go sit the two minutes.

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