The NHL is currently investigating an incident where a referee left his mic on and “explained” a penalty call that spelled out the utter convolution and distortion referees seemingly go through when calling a game.
Maybe if you’re a mic’d up ref, you shouldn’t express how you wanted to call a penalty against a team earlier in the game, changing how you ref the rest of the game.
“It wasn’t much but I wanted to get a fuckin’ penalty against Nashville early in the…”#Preds #LGRW pic.twitter.com/6fZImkdqLr
— Matt Best (@bestofmatt) March 24, 2021
The idea that referees “even up” penalties can be clearly found in the data. Even when one team is objectively doing more illegal things on the ice, the referees will “even up the game” by calling soft penalties for the other team. To put it plainly, that is not the referees’ job. Their job is to call the penalties that happen. All referees do this, broadcasters often try to explain away the concept of “evening up the game” even though it’s literally an example of placing their foot on the scales.
This needs to end, but I don’t know if the NHL is capable of accepting their mistake and essentially de-legitimizing the sport.
Hard to say where this goes over the next day or so, but the NHL is definitely looking into the “hot mic” incident discussing a penalty call from the DET/NASH game
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 24, 2021
The NHL has also made convoluted changes to the Draft Lottery. Tanking is now encouraged, but also discouraged. Being bad means you can get good players, but not too good. If you get too many good players, you won’t be allowed more even if you still suck. This is dumb and no one has been a fan thus far.
The @NHL announces changes to #NHLDraft Lottery format. https://t.co/8GnyhvOg8n pic.twitter.com/kCiQNFPRTj
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 23, 2021
NHL announces changes to draft lottery:
-Drawing for top 2 picks not 3
-Team can only move up 10 spots
-Team can only win lottery twice within 5 years (this starts in 2022)— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) March 23, 2021
The NHL has announced that the Montreal Canadiens have moved into COVID Protocol and have had their next three games up to this Sunday postponed due to an outbreak. Monday’s game against Edmonton was also postponed.
The @CanadiensMTL’s games have been postponed through Sunday, March 28. https://t.co/zerM5CgqBf pic.twitter.com/rkH8qw83RN
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 23, 2021
Due to their schedule, the Canadiens might not be able to finish their season by May 10th, delaying the start of the playoffs.
One of the impacts, I believe, will be the NHL having to schedule games past Monday, May 10, which it had been able to avoid so far. But the schedule is so jammed in the second half, I think it’s unavoidable for Montreal and Edmonton. Which will delay the start of the playoffs.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 23, 2021
Yesterday was National Puppy Day and…. D’awwwwwww look at youuuuuuu!!!!! Cutieeeee!!
Enjoy 🐶#NationalPuppyDay pic.twitter.com/r5AXAvUSlV
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) March 23, 2021
Not to be out-done by the dogs, here’s a couple “cool” cats?
this is the greatest photo i’ve ever seen
sergy looking ROUGH and vasy trying not to laugh
i canNOT deal with this team pic.twitter.com/hsedbPaD9O
— christine✨ (@ChristineLRM) March 24, 2021
No matter what you throw at it, life finds a way.
Flyers just got booed off the ice by their fans.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 23, 2021
