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Referees warned teams prior to playoffs they would not be calling penalties

Published June 22, 2021 at 11:33
BY COLTON PANKIW
It seems every year the NHL playoffs come around, many complain about the referees as the rulebook seems to get put away, especially when compared to how things are called during the regular season.

This year's playoffs have been no different in that regard, in fact possibly even worse. It seems fans of every team have been complaining about officiating, and for valid reasons. The referees seem unwilling to call almost all infractions, no matter how blatant and even when they are very clearly seen. While it doesn't seem overly surprising, it was quite interesting to hear TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie confirm in an article that the referees are purposely ignoring calls, and warned teams about it prior to the playoffs beginning.

«Don't expect us to raise the arm when there are infractions,» referees warned NHL GMs prior to the postseason beginning. «Our job is to manage the game.»

Again, this is what everyone kind of figured was happening, but to hear that officials admitted such is astonishing. This is a very bad look for the NHL, as it takes away from many of their star players. Guys like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon are players who could help grow the popularity of the game, but instead are allowed to be mauled with little to no consequences in the postseason. The NHL should take a look at what other leagues such as the NFL and NBA do to protect their stars and make a change in how their officials handle their business as soon as possible.

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