The puck drops on the preseason with our first suspension and fine as Player Safety is already on duty. It's a $5k punch from Petry, 2 games for Melanson, a first for the Seattle Kraken, and two fights -- along with our first instigator penalty. Todd and Josh discuss whether another was warranted, and if the NHL should consider a different approach when it comes to the 2-5-10 of an instigator penalty... listen in and let us know your take. Visit www.scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter and Instagram. Email us your questions - heyref@scoutingtherefs.com.    Call the RefLine at 585-484-REFS!   Listen for this week's podcast word of the day: calibrate!

The NHL Season Starts... or does it?

Scouting The Refs follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.  Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports; a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio, he’s also worked for TSN and Sportsnet as a host/anchor. Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent resource related to hockey officiating. #RefsPodcast