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NHL dumps referee Tim Peel after ‘f–king penalty’ hot-mic debacle
NHL ref caught on hot mic wanting to call a ‘f–king’ penalty on Predators
The NHL will no longer use longtime referee Tim Peel after he was caught on a hot mic Tuesday night saying he “wanted to get a f–king penalty” against the Nashville
The NHL will no longer use longtime referee Tim Peel after he was caught on a hot mic Tuesday night saying he “wanted to get a f–king penalty” against the Nashville Predators.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game,” Colin Campbell, the NHL’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations, said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Tim Peel’s conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand of our officials and that our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve. There is no justification for his comments, no matter the context or his intention, and the National Hockey League will take any and all steps necessary to protect the integrity our game.”
The moment was caught on the Predators television broadcast during the second period of their home win against the Red Wings.
WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
Hot mic alert. Tim Peel will no longer be reffing NHL games… pic.twitter.com/C1R9GubdoS
— Tony Cordasco (@TonyDasco) March 24, 2021
Peel, 53, was scheduled to retire next month, according to multiple reports. His final game was set for April 24. But his NHL career instead ends ignominiously.
The Hampton, New Brunswick native has worked more than 1,300 regular-season NHL games and 90 postseason matches. His first NHL game was on Oct. 21, 1999, according to nhlofficials.com. Peel also was a referee for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2009 and 2017 Winter Classics.
This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Justin Tasch
