Hockey East bans light shows after UMass incident

In an email to its members on Monday night, Hockey East banned “the use of any theatrical lights, dimming, or strobe effects after goals are scored” for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

The decision comes after an incident during UConn’s 3-3 tie with UMass at the Mullins Center on Saturday night.

In overtime, Minuteman forward Justin Kerr sent a back-handed shot on net that was easily turned away by UConn goalie Tyler Muszelik. Despite that, UMass began its post-goal light show that featured flashing lights. Initially, play continued as Kai Janviriya skated up the ice on an odd-man rush. Just as he entered the offensive zone, the lights turned from white and red before shutting off entirely. That forced the officials to blow the play dead, ending the Huskies’ best goal-scoring chance in overtime.

“It was probably an accident,” head coach Mike Cavanaugh said on his radio show Monday night. “What it appeared like to me was they put the strobes on thinking that UMass scored. I don’t know why because it wasn’t even close to going in. Then maybe someone panicked and shut it off, hit another button, I don’t know. It is what it is. I’m not gonna get too torn up about it. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

The Minutemen were not assessed a delay of game penalty, in large part because the officials couldn’t do anything.

“There’s no rule in the book for a penalty for that. There is if you throw stuff on the ice because the fans get warned, and if it gets done again, you get a delay of the game penalty,” Cavanaugh said. “My take with the officials is that they were confused. They had to blow the whistle, the lights were out. It’s a dangerous situation. Afterwards, they came up to me and said they were very disappointed that it happened and they were gonna report it.”

The game ultimately ended in a tie. UMass claimed an extra point towards the Hockey East standings with a shootout victory. UConn outshot the hosts 53-22 in the contest but Minuteman goaltender Michael Hrabal stood on his head to steal the result for his side.

“Listen, we had plenty of chances to score and not even have the game in overtime,” Cavanaugh said. “But Mike Hrabal was pretty good.”

The incident went viral online on Monday. While Cavanaugh was on the air during his radio show at Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue in Hartford, the clip came on a nearby television.