Leafs Fans Reportedly Threatened Family of NHL Referee
There always a few people in Sports fandom who are willing to go way over the line in an attempt to defend their team. According to a report by Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, Toronto Maple Leafs fans threatened the family of NHL referee Wes McCauley during their first round series with Tampa Bay. It happened following game 3, where Michael Bunting laid a hit on the Lightning's Erik Cernak that earned him a three-game suspension.
"A league source told the Star that there were threats made against McCauley's family that night, feeding off the frenzy that McCauley and Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe have a long-standing beef that goes beyond the ice." - Toronto Star
Before tonight's game against the Florida Panthers, it was announced that McCauley is officiating. Asked whether that bothered him, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe insisted he and McCauley are not at odds.
"Officials don't have any impact on the game and it's not my focus. Wes has treated me like a true professional the whole time that I've been in this league and I've been very appreciative of that."
Again, threatening any athlete, referee, and/or their families is way over the line. There's nothing better than passionate hockey fans, but there's certainly a limit, and people need to stay inside it.
| POLL | ||
MAI 7 | 507 ANSWERS Leafs Fans Reportedly Threatened Family of NHL Referee How do you feel about Wes McCauley? | ||
| He's a fair and professional referee | 171 | 33.7 % |
| Terrible at his job | 242 | 47.7 % |
| I'm not sure | 94 | 18.5 % |
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| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
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| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
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