Instigator Rule

[SectionNDeserter]

In the Tigers vs. Rebels game last night, Blake Penner skated about 80 feet across the ice to engage Connor Bleackley after a clean hit, and it got me to thinking that it has been a VERY long time since I have seen an instigator penalty called.

I think in general that most fans are either indifferent or disapprove of the rule, and I am curious if it is a rule that is just the league just doesn't care if the officials enforce it anymore, if they have made some change to the rule, or if they have gotten rid of it altogether? Has anyone seen one in the last few seasons?

[Fight Guy]

There's instigators all the time in Regina still. They're usually handed out improperly, but they're still called.

[Lucic]

The was an instigator penalty called last night in the Portland and Kelowna game. They still get called pretty frequently. Oftentimes they are called in the wrong situation, IMO but then again the penalty itself is the worst one in all of hockey. It's caused more harm for the sport than any other rule/penalty combined. But that is a different debate entirely. I'd love for it to be abolished altogether but sadly that will never happen.