Former referee, previously fired by the NHL, confesses to favoring star players

PUBLICATION

Tom Banks
October 12, 2023 (11:32)

SHARE THIS STORY

The NHL has had its problems with refereeing over the years, and while it's improved in recent times, there's still been some major controversies, and now, a former NHL referee has admitted to his style on the ice.

Star treatment?

After being fired by the NHL, Tim Peel has revealed some very dramatic things over the years, and now, he's admitted to something that many fans knew was already a thing between referees.

"Did I give Sid Crosby some breaks over the years? Did I give Alexander Ovechkin? Did I give the superstars? 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.

On the surface, the comment makes sense, as star players are what brings the fans into the stands, but sometimes, it was certainly taken too far, and that ruins games for plenty of diehard fans within the arena and watching at home.

Not all calls are equal

However, Peel did admit that there are plenty of calls in a game that have to be made, no matter who the victim of the infraction was.

"[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."

Ultimately, this won't come as a surprise to many NHL fans, as they've seen this type of thing unfold over the years, with many teams being stiffed in big games due to it, but it's very likely to change anytime soon.

As Read on Blade of Steel - Former referee fired by the NHL admits he gave star players special treatment