Ex-NHL Referee Admits to fixing Calls for Star Players

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Elias Edmonson
October 12, 2023 (12:54)

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This is a rumor that has been circulating for several years in the NHL and on social media, but former NHL referee Tim Peel, who has been speaking out for the past few months, has just confirmed it.

Referees are much less strict with star players, and they let several penalties slide.

For example, for the exact same action, Brendan Gallagher would get penalized while Sidney Crosby would not.

We suspected it, but hearing it stated so clearly and bluntly, you can imagine the reaction it's causing.

Some believe this is extremely serious, as it shows that referees are less impartial than we think. However, we also understand the reasoning behind it.

"The 18,000 people in the stands are there to watch the star players play (and the league knows it). They are not in the stands to watch the filler players on the 4th line play." - Tim Peel

This is an extremely concerning double standard, according to some.

Did I give Sid Crosby some breaks over the years? Did I give Alexander Ovechkin some? Did I give the superstars some? Absolutely, because � guess what? � that's what the 18,000 fans are there to see. They're there to see him, not some fourth-line plugger."

He elaborated:

"For a cross-check to the head, the refs have to call it. The refs are gonna call it. I don't think Hockey Ops says, 'Well, Buffalo's not very good. We shouldn't suspend the other player because they've got a good team and Buffalo's not very good.' I disagree with that."

Are you surprised to hear him say this?

If we look at the Montreal Canadiens, for instance, in light of these comments, we shouldn't be surprised if the referees are less strict with players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield (compared to Gallagher, precisely).

Full interview: