Brett Hull? No Goal?

Question

What is the story behind all the talk about Brett Hull and this No Goal thing? Something with Buffalo and the stars awhile ago?? Can somebody give me the story please?

Answer 1

Just to add to what has been said here ...

Brett Hull pretty clearly kicked the puck from his skate to his stick, and then scored. There was chaos on the ice as everyone poured over the boards. The referee did go over to the official scorer's area and asked for a review in the midst of the commotion. The play was ruled a goal.

Here's a key -- according to the NHL's supplemental rules that weren't even released to the public before this, the goal should have been wiped out by any interpretation of the league's own rules. I've read them, and Hull's foot placement in the crease was clearly a violation at the time.

Now -- the rule was silly. Under normal circumstances, the goal should have counted. The Sabres let Hull alone in front of the goalie. However, a rule is a rule.

The Sabres' players and coaches protested, but to no avail. Obviously, no one knows who would have won the game and the series if the goal had been wiped out. Dallas was a better team, but was also older. How would the teams have done in a Game Seven? Impossible to predict.

Answer 2

I'm guessing you saw that in an answer of mine...

Anyway, what happened was this. In the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres squared off against the Dallas Stars. Buffalo had to win game 6 in order to force a game 7 and hopefully win the championship. In the third overtime of game 6, in the wee hours of the morning when my then 11 year-old self should have been in bed, Brett Hull put a puck past Dominic Hasek. The Stars stormed the ice, and it seemed like they had won the Stanley Cup. Now, here's the thing. In 1999 there was a rule in place that stated a player's foot could not be in the goal crease at the time he scored a goal, and on the replay, Hull's foot was clearly in the crease. No matter to the officials; the ice had already been crowded with people celebrating the "victory", and they refused to disallow the goal that wasn't a goal at all. The Sabres were totally and entirely robbed of a fair chance to force a game 7 and possibly win the whole thing. For me and thousands of other Sabres fans, it felt like our hearts had been ripped out and skated over. All of Western New York was outraged for weeks. Things like this happen to Buffalo sports teams all too often--it's something of a curse--and if it was your team, I guarantee it's something you would never let go, either.

Answer 3

The question has been answered it was no goal, but the most amazing thing about it was in typical screwed up NHL Gary Bettman fashion all year they had instituted instant replay and when there was a scramble in front of the net and a puck got chopped in they would go upstairs and review it to see if a skate of the scoring team was in the crease even if it had nothing at all to do with the goal that was scored. As fans watching the games it was just so time consuming and a ticky tack rule. Every game it seemed like a goal was called back. So here it is the biggest game of the year and , they screw it up. No review , nothing game , series , season, rule over. I hate the Sabre's and I hate Hull , but love Hockey. To me it tainted the whole season a season of endless delays changing goals exactly the way Brett Hull did score. Only in the NHL.

Answer 4

First of all if you don't know the facts don't answer the question.

It wasn't in 2001, and it wasn't the 2nd ot it was the 3rd.

This shouldn't have been a goal based on the NHL rules. A mystery memo was sent out before the playoffs saying a player can be in the crease. (This was Bettmans spin) Though in the crease was called the whole playoff season long.

Now, I am a Sabres fan and say that it should have been a hockey goal. Nothing illegal was done and Hull didn't interfere with the goaltender. If Brian Holzinger would have cleared his man in front of the net it wouldn't have happend. But a rule is a rule and the league should have the balls to make things right.

Answer 5

Stanley Cup in 2001 I believe. The Stars were playing the Sabres for the Cup. Game went into OT. I think it was like the 3rd OT. Brett Hull was credited with the Game Winning Goal BUT his skate was in the crease. At that time there was a rule in place that NO PLAYERS SKATE COULD BE IN THE CREASE. If there was ANY SKATE in the crease then the goal was to be waved off. The refs DIDN'T wave off the Goal, even though Hull's skate was CLEARLY in the crease. This is why the Cup has been forever tainted. Add to it that in the offseason the rule was changed to say that the player could have his skate in the crease "as long as it didn't interfere with the goalie". The NHL then claimed that it had "nothing to do with the call in the cup". I still agree with Herb Brooks who was the Coach for the Penguins at that time. He said he didn't see how the player could have his skate in the crease and NOT be interfering with the goalie.

Answer 6

that year a NEW rule came in the NHL, if your foot is in the crease before the puck goes in the crease then in the net it will be NO GOAL, well the thing is Brett Hull's foot was CLEARLY in the crease and Hull shot the puck with the puck and his stick outside of the crease and it went in the net but it shouldn't of been a goal cause like i said HIS FOOT WAS CLEARLY IN THE CREASE, and i think the ref's didn't want to stop the celebration CAUSE IT WAS THE GAME WINNING GOAL FOR THE STANLEY CUP which they should of. all your Dallas Stars fans will never admitted but its true. the foot was in the crease.


wdx2bb>>>what the hell are you talking about they never went upstairs. your just making it up and probably didnt even watch the game. evrybody in the world knows they didnt go upstairs.


GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 7

In 1999, the Stars were up in the series 3 games to 2... I think it was in 2nd overtime, Brett Hull, was in the crease. There was a lot of traffic and Hull knocked the puck in on a unready Hasek... Hasek saw it go in, he looked down on the ice and Hull celebrated with his line.... It wasn't until Hasek saw it on the replay that he protested. By then, the league recorded as a goal. There is a strong argument that Hull was in the crease (which was illegal at that time)... it wasn't malicious or even seen by the Sabres until the replay... Hasek was genuinely beat but the Sabres and fans felt robbed and now blame the (no)goal on Hull or anyone else who played for the Stars for that team.

They won't shut up about it to this day... They forget that Dallas had won 3 games already and that the Sabres had a LOT of opportunities to send a puck in the net behind Belfour... they just fixate over one little goal that evidently broke their weak hearts. I just wish they bothered to score some goals so we wouldn't have to listen to this ad nauseum.

By the way, I am not disputing that it was a real goal. It was technically a no-goal and should have been waived off... but it wasn't... and that sucks but its time to move on already. My point is that the Stars did genuinely beat the Sabres. The Sabres were just hanging on.

Answer 8

1999 Finals. Hull's foot was clearly in the crease. The goal shouldn't have been allowed. Dallas won the cup. Hasek and company got screwed. And for about 3 weeks, the people in Dallas actually realized that they have a hockey team. Then they all went back to obsessing about the Cowboys and steer rustlin'.

Ironically, Hasek got his cup in 2002, with Hull on his team. And that 2002 Detroit Red Wings team, my friends, was perhaps the greatest assembly of hockey talent in NHL history.

Answer 9

it was the 1999 stanley cup playoffs Dallas Stars vs. Buffalo sabres stars with a 3-2 series lead. in the 3rd OT brett hull put a rebound past Hasek. Buffalo claimed and still belives that his foot was in the crease when he put the puck in which was against the nhl rules back then. but the goal stood and the stars won the cup. IT WAS A GOAL! GO STARS SABRES, PENS AND WINGS SUCK!

Answer 10

1999 Stanley Cup Finals in OT. I believe. There was a scramble in front of the net and the puck came loose and Hull knocked it in which won the Cup, but some suggest that Hull was in the crease before the puck was in the crease which would negate the goal. Get over it people.