Hurricanes’ Brandon Bussi tosses puck into own net

Soccer’s concept of an own goal, in which a player inadvertently directs the ball into their own team’s net and therefore no goal is awarded to any individual player on the opposing team, doesn’t exist in hockey. In the NHL, every goal must get awarded to the last player to touch the puck on the scoring team, even if that player had gone to the bench, went to the dressing room, and started eating a banana by the time the puck crossed the goal line.

If there ever was a goal that deserved the distinction of an “own goal”, it was Jason Robertson’s power-play goal during the Dallas Stars‘ 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. Down 1-0 in the first period, Robertson took a pass in the slot and fired a wrist shot. Hurricanes’ goaltender Brandon Bussi came well out of his crease to make a big save… or so it seemed. Bussi, who must not have known where the puck was, rolled over with enough force to launch the puck, which was seemingly stuck in his right sleeve just under his glove, right into his own net.

Bussi immediately turned to the official to argue that the play should’ve been blown dead, but to no avail. On first glance, it looked as though Bussi had the puck in his glove and inexplicably flung it into the net. Replay made the play more understandable, as the puck had somehow nestled in the cuff of Bussi’s sleeve.

Fortunately for Bussi and the Hurricanes, the bizarre play would not come back to bite them, as they cruised to a comfortable three-goal victory.

If Robertson, who now with 25 goals on the season is in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, happens to win the award by a single goal, he’ll have to send Bussi a thank-you card at the very least.