Head Coach Fires Shots At NHL Officials Following Incredibly Soft Call

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Tom Banks
October 30, 2023 (10:26 PM)

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The NHL's officiating has come under scrutiny all season long for some time now, and unfortunately, a situation over the weekend exposed just how bad they have been in 2023-24 thus far.

Dreadful officiating

During the Colorado Avalanche's recent showdown with the Buffalo Sabres, star defenseman Cale Makar was pushed into the end boards, causing him to leave the game, with many fans and analysts believing the move warranted a penalty of some sort.

Due to the officiating struggles however, that didn't happen, and it resulted in veteran forward Nathan MacKinnon looking for payback, ultimately receiving a 10-minute penalty for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

Bednar lashes out

Unsurprisingly, the Avalanche's Head Coach wanted to stand up for his players, as he took to the media to criticize the lack of a call on the play that saw Makar injured.

«There's frustration out of our team because that [penalty] wasn't called,» Bednar said. «[Makar is] obviously a key player for us.»

«You get a little frustrated and you have a few things to say. I'd just like the officials to have thicker skin in that spot. You know they may have missed one or decided not to call it � whatever it is. I think you've got to take a little bit of harsh feedback in that situation without doling out a ten-[minute misconduct].

«If it carries on and carries on, then that's a different story. That's my issue.»

While not many coaches or players call out officiating, it's clear that the level isn't where it needs to be at the NHL level, and while Bednar is likely to hear from the league office about this, hopefully this inspires them to improve the level of officiating around the league.

As Read on Scouting the Refs - Avs' MacKinnon Picks Up Misconduct After Makar Injury