Ref who officiated Bruins-Panthers is facing some serious allegations
NHL referee Kelly Sutherland is under scrutiny due to allegations of game management and bias, particularly from Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
Criticisms focus on Sutherland's officiating in playoff games, where a looser penalty-calling standard often leads to confusion and contentious decisions.
Notably, Maple Leafs fans were upset over missed calls in a decisive Game 7 against Boston, a game that Sutherland officiated, alleging favoritism.
Canucks supporters have also voiced concerns, citing Sutherland's apparent negative bias towards their team in games, including a recent matchup against the Oilers. Fans pointed to Sutherland's officiating record with the Canucks, which shows a dismal 2-7-2 in their last nine games he refereed, as evidence of unfair treatment.
These ongoing issues have raised serious questions about the consistency and integrity of NHL officiating, particularly in the playoffs.
While no official investigation has been launched, the repeated complaints and patterns observed by fans suggest that further scrutiny of officiating standards may be warranted to ensure fairness in the league's competition.
As seen on Mapleleafsdaily
Referee who officiated Leafs/Bruins Game 7 facing serious allegations
| POLL | ||
Do you think NHL refs have favourites during the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 1457 | 95.2 % |
| No | 74 | 4.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
