Veteran NHL referee Tim Peel was caught on a hot-mic during last night’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators stating that he “wanted to give” the Predators a penalty.
And now, it’s cost him his job.
NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbel announced this morning that Peel was finished in the National Hockey League in a statement:
“Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game,” Campbell said. “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 of our game.”
Midway through the 2nd period, Nashville’s broadcast caught Peel “it wasn’t much, but I wanted to get a f—ing penalty against Nashville early.”
Peel, 53, had worked 1,334 NHL games coming into last night. He was originally on schedule to retire after this season.
– – Quotes via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN Link – –
