The NHL has fined NJDevils head coach Sheldon Keefe $25,000 for "unprofessional conduct directed at the officials" late in Sunday's game at Vegas.

[Nikishin al Gaib]

Brind'Amour, when reached for comment:

 

[Quinning]

Wes is an idiot.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Who got tangled up ? Did you even see the sequence. Accidental or not it was a clear trip that sent Hughes into the boards. That's not guys getting tangled up.

He made no effort to slow down, he was watching the puck. Accident sure, penalty absolutely.

Give me a break. The no-call was fine. It would've been fine with a call as well. The whole play was a nothing play that was a borderline trip.

The complaining about this is comical at this point.

 

[britdevil]

What if anything did Keefe say that went beyond the usual coaches yelling at refs to get a game misconduct?

Be mates with Mike Danton.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

The NHL should be fined for allowing the clear conflict of interest to continue

If what @Tie Domi Esquire said is correct and Keefe was testified on behalf of David Frost, I honestly don't even care about a conflict of interest and how it impacts him at that point.

After going through a bunch of links and then doing a bunch of digging afterwards, it does appear he more likely than not testified on behalf of Frost. Not against him.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Who got tangled up ? Did you even see the sequence. Accidental or not it was a clear trip that sent Hughes into the boards. That's not guys getting tangled up.

He made no effort to slow down, he was watching the puck. Accident sure, penalty absolutely.

Also on the back of an earlier penalty on Hughes where he lost an edge and tripped a Vegas player. The same type of play only less violent/consequential.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Welcome to the real NHL Keefe.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Joke league is a joke

Also, f*** Wes

 

[WarriorofTime]

You'd think they'd give the guy a break when he just lost his star player for the season.

 

[Dialamo]

Regarding the backstory between Sheldon Keefe and Wes McAuley:


The fact that the NHL has completely ignored this obvious conflict of interest that would be deemed as gross negligence in any other reputable organization, just confirms that this league is run by unserious people.

There is absolutely no way the league should be letting McAuley referee games with Keefe behind one of the benches.

 

[Phrasing]

Can’t wait until Wes is out of the league, that colossal tool.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Is there a profession in this world more protected than the NHL official?

 

[Divine]

Wes McCauley ejected Sheldon Keefe? Out of all the officials what are the chances it'd be him - 100%?

 

[Killing Joke]

Fuh you talking bout, players got tangled up, clearly no penalty on the play.

Hughes was called for that earlier. This was a player tripping another from behind with their skate getting tangled up. And tripping doesn't have to be intentional to be called.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Just got a better look at the play...I'm a Rangers fan and I feel like abusing the official over not calling something that took my hated rivals' best player out for the season? And $25000 for words while they have max fines of $5000 for shit that actually may deserve a punishment $25000? Backwards shit.

 

[Ratsreign]

I can only wonder what he might’ve said to Wes.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Well, get refs who don't suck

Waiting for you to get in the stripes and give it a go.

 

[1989]

Waiting for you to get in the stripes and give it a go.

This isn't the callout you think it is

People come from all walks of life and not everyone is equipped to handle every job equally, just like you probably wouldn't be a great firefighter or social worker or Supreme Court judge, etc. That poster didn't claim to be able to do a better job but wants accountability from the referees in the league which is a totally fair ask, but the NHL's referee culture is likely rotten.

It's clear to most that the NHL has a refereeing issue. Inconsistent rule calling, personal beef, bad reviews, game management, you name it and it happens with too much regularity. The problem isn't just with the guys in stripes running the show, but the fact that the NHL allows their actions with apparent impunity without consequence. The only victims, strangely, is the quality of the product (player/coach fines and suspensions) but the product is what we, the fans, are here for and not the zebras.