A referee pulled an apple out of his pocket to show Jacob Fowler during Saturday night's Canadiens-Maple Leafs game in Toronto.
Apparently the apple came from the stands. A fan is said to have thrown it toward Fowler in the second period while play was live, and the official wanted the Montreal goalie to see what had landed on the ice.
Natalie spotted it on X and asked the question a lot of viewers were probably asking too.
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The moment was easy to miss if you were watching the puck. A ref holding up a piece of fruit mid-game doesn't happen often, and it caught the attention of fans watching at home.
Fowler didn't let it throw him off. The 21-year-old stopped 26 of 28 shots and finished the 4-2 win with the decision, playing all 60:00 in net.
It was a busy night for him. Montreal handed Fowler the start against Toronto after confirming its lineup changes on Saturday.
Why objects thrown at a goalie are a real problem
Throwing anything onto the ice while play is live is a safety issue, and it's worse when it's aimed at a goalie who has to track the puck through traffic. An apple is a small thing. A skate catching it or a player stepping on it in the crease is not.
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That's why the ref's decision to show it to Fowler mattered. Whoever tossed it didn't help his team, and nobody should be throwing food at a 21-year-old trying to do his job. Arenas have the means to identify fans and remove them, and this is the kind of incident where they should use them.
Nothing in the sheet says whether the league or the Maple Leafs have responded, so that part remains unknown for now.
On the ice, Montreal came out of it in good shape. The Canadiens are 11-3-3 and went 8-0-2 over their last 10, while Toronto, at 8-8-2, was on a two-game losing streak heading into tonight's game against New Jersey.
Fowler also talked after the game about his bond with Carey Price, which was the better story to come out of the night.
Montreal's next game is Tuesday against Minnesota.
Quick hits
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Spittin' Chiclets reported that the Blackhawks called a players-only meeting after last night's 9-2 loss in Carolina.
That's a lot of goals to give up. Nobody should be surprised the room wanted to talk.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Sidney Crosby moved past Marcel Dionne into sixth on the NHL's all-time points list as the Penguins beat the Kings 5-2 last night.
Another name falls behind him.
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DALLAS STARS: The Stars are now 9-0-0 when they score three goals or more, and last night's 4-3 win over San Jose added to it.
Get to three and Dallas doesn't lose, which makes the offense the thing to watch.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES: Jim Montgomery wasn't happy after the Blues' 3-1 loss in Nashville last night, and his message was aimed at the leaders.
When a coach calls out the top of the room, he wants answers fast.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: The Capitals beat the Panthers 4-3 yesterday and woke up Sunday one point behind the Rangers for third in the Metro.
That's a quick climb, though one red flag remains.
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Should fans who throw objects onto the ice be banned from NHL arenas for life?
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