Recent years have witnessed NHL referees becoming increasingly sensitive to criticism. With a mandate to crack down on any form of critique, officials have doled out a higher number of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties over the past two seasons than ever before.
This pattern persisted during a preseason match between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. A scenario unfolded as the Lightning dumped the puck into the zone, and Mikey Eyssimont encountered an obstruction from an out-of-position referee, resulting in a costly turnover.
In frustration, Eyssimont expressed his discontent with the referee while leaving the zone. However, instead of acknowledging the mistake, the referee promptly imposed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Eyssimont.
