Goaltender David Leggio's Antics Cause Another League to Change Its Rules
For a goaltender who has never appeared in an NHL game, David Leggio has made quite the name for himself.
You might recall Leggio as the goalie who forced the AHL to change a rule by taking advantage of a loophole. In 2014, when Leggio played for the Bridgeport Tigers of the AHL, he purposely dislodged his own net to prevent a two-on-zero advantage for the opposing team. At the time, the penalty for doing such was just a penalty shot, and Leggio believed he had better odds of saving a penalty shot than a two-on-zero breakaway. (He did indeed end up saving the penalty). It was flagrantly unsportsmanlike, so the league tweaked its rule to include an ejection for the goalie as well as the penalty shot. The new regulation was nicknamed the "Leggio rule," and the name caught on.
Here's the original sin:
Leggio is now playing for EHC Red Bull Munchen of Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, and what do you know, he's back at his rule-bending ways. Last Friday night, with the game tied 1-1 in the seond period, Leggio again dislodged his own net to prevent a one-on-one with an attacker for the Fischtown Pinguins. Some people just don't change:
He once again saved the ensuing penalty shot, but the league fined him an undisclosed amount for "gross unsportsmanlike conduct."
That's not all—the Deutche Eishockey Liga went a step further than the AHL and decided that if a goalie purposely dislodges his own net to prevent a scoring opportunity, the other team will be awarded a goal.
That should put an end to Leggio's busch league antics. That is, until he finds another league to prey on.
In a somewhat unrelated note, Leggio is likely to be a member of the U.S.'s Olympic hockey team in PyeongChang. NHL players aren't allowed to participate in the Games, which has created an opportunity for Americans like Leggio to get on the roster. He was named to the American roster for the Deutschland Cup, an Olympic tune-up.