Breaking: Red Wings’ McLellan Files Formal NHL Complaint Over “Robbery” Offside Call in Devils Thriller
Detroit, MI – November 26, 2025 – In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the NHL, Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan has broken his post-game silence by lodging a formal complaint with the league office, blasting a controversial offside call that he claims “robbed” his team of a crucial victory against the New Jersey Devils.
The incident, unfolding in the dying minutes of a razor-thin 3-2 Devils win at Little Caesars Arena, has ignited calls for transparency and reform from McLellan and his counterpart, New Jersey’s Sheldon Keefe, who echoed demands for a league-wide game review protocol.
The drama peaked at 18:47 of the third period, with the score tied 2-2 and the Red Wings surging on home ice. Alex DeBrincat streaked down the wing, feeding a perfect saucer pass to Dylan Larkin, whose one-timer appeared to tie the game—or so 18,000-plus fans thought.
Referee Wes McCauley, after a lengthy video review, whistled it offside, nullifying the goal and handing the Devils a power play that culminated in Timo Meier’s game-winner just 1:12 later.
Replays showed Larkin’s skate fractionally ahead of the puck by what broadcasters estimated at 0.02 seconds—a margin thinner than a Zamboni blade.
McLellan, the 57-year-old veteran coach in his second season behind Detroit’s bench, didn’t mince words in his 10-minute tirade to NHL Senior VP of Officiating Stephen Walkom, filed via official channels less than an hour after the final buzzer.
“This isn’t officiating; it’s guesswork,” McLellan fumed in a leaked excerpt from the complaint, obtained by TSN. “We’ve got tech that can split atoms, yet we’re disallowing goals on pixels? The integrity of the game is at stake.
Review the whole damn tape—every angle, every frame—or we’re all complicit in eroding trust.”
The call, made under the NHL’s stringent Rule 83 (offside), relies on the “gaining an advantage” clause, but critics argue the league’s coaching challenge system—limited to two per game, with failed challenges costing a timeout—leaves teams powerless against hyper-precise tech glitches.
Detroit had already burned one challenge earlier on a Devils’ icing, leaving them exposed. “It’s blatant,” McLellan added in his post-game scrum, his voice cracking with rare emotion. “Larkin doesn’t gain an edge; he earns it. This league needs to step up before fans tune out.”
Echoing the outrage, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe—ironically benefiting from the call—joined the chorus for accountability, a rare show of cross-rivalry solidarity. “Todd’s right; no one wins when doubt lingers,” Keefe said outside the visitors’ locker room, towel-draped and somber despite the two points. “Full game reviews post-controversy? Mandate it.
We’ve got the tools—VAR-level scrutiny for every disputed goal. Devils or Wings, doesn’t matter; fairness fuels the fire.” Keefe’s stance drew nods from players on both sides, with Devils captain Nico Hischier adding, “That was close. Too close. League owes us clarity.”
The NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) wasted no time weighing in, with executive director Don Fehr issuing a statement: “We support coaches’ push for enhanced protocols.
Offside tech is evolving; so must our rules.” Meanwhile, league commissioner Gary Bettman, reached via email, deferred comment pending Walkom’s review, but insiders whisper an announcement on expanded challenges could drop by week’s end—potentially including a third “tech foul” appeal for borderline calls.
Fan reaction has been volcanic. Little Caesars Arena erupted in boos that drowned out the PA system, with #OffsideRobbery trending nationwide on X (formerly Twitter), amassing 250,000 posts in under two hours.
Red Wings faithful, still smarting from a 4-6-2 start to the season, flooded McLellan’s Instagram with fire emojis and pleas: “Fight for us, Todd!” A petition for “NHL Full Review Reform” on Change.org hit 50,000 signatures by midnight, spearheaded by Motor City podcaster Drew Sharp.
On the ice, the loss stings deeper for Detroit: It snaps a three-game win streak and drops them to 5-7-2, clinging to the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. Larkin, held pointless for the first time in five outings, vented post-game: “Felt good off the stick. Felt right.
Refs see what they want sometimes.” DeBrincat, the assist man, shrugged it off publicly but confided to reporters, “Coach filing that complaint? About time someone did.”
For New Jersey, the victory—bolstered by Vitek Vanecek’s 28 saves—pushes them to 8-4-1, atop the Metro Division. Meier, the unlikely hero on a deflection off a Luke Hughes point shot, deflected praise: “Luck? Maybe.
But Todd’s got a point—those calls decide seasons.” Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, a data-driven exec, hinted at internal support for McLellan’s crusade: “We’re all in this lab together. Better tech, better calls.”
McLellan’s complaint isn’t his first rodeo; the ex-Oilers and Sharks bench boss has long advocated for analytics in officiating, citing his 1,200+ games coached. “Silence enables mediocrity,” he told The Athletic earlier this year. Tonight, that silence shattered like glass on the boards.
As the NHL’s holiday showcase looms, this flare-up could catalyze change—or fizzle into footnotes. Walkom’s 48-hour probe will dissect the replay feeds, but the real review? That’s in the eyes of players, coaches, and a fanbase demanding perfection in a sport built on inches.
For now, McLellan and Keefe stand united: The puck doesn’t lie, but sometimes the whistle does. Will the league listen? The faceoff’s just beginning.
