Wednesday’s FTB: I see why NHL referees don’t do interviews

I’ve been of the position for a while that referees in the NHL and all sports should be interviewed by the media after every game. It gives them the opportunity to explain their thinking on calls, and perhaps also a unique perspective from the ice. The only reason to avoid letting referees give their perspective on their actions after a game is if those opinions are convoluted and show impartial arbitrators putting their feet on the scale one way or another.

Why would I say those words specifically? Well...

Maybe if you're a mic'd up ref, you shouldn't express how you wanted to call a penalty against a team earlier in the game, changing how you ref the rest of the game.

"It wasn't much but I wanted to get a fuckin' penalty against Nashville early in the..."#Preds #LGRW pic.twitter.com/6fZImkdqLr

— Matt Best (@bestofmatt) March 24, 2021

... I see why the league refuses to let the referees speak after games. If they talked like that, it would be a sporting embarrassment.

“How can we fix our electric systems so no one can hear how messed up our league is!”

Hard to say where this goes over the next day or so, but the NHL is definitely looking into the "hot mic" incident discussing a penalty call from the DET/NASH game

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 24, 2021

Speaking of convoluted and overly difficult, the NHL has changed their Draft Lottery rules yet again. Apparently there’s both too much tanking and also not enough tanking, but also bad teams need to get better, but not too much better or it’ll be unfair. Why are we still doing this? Because the half hour of network TV brings in revenue.

NHL announces changes to draft lottery:
-Drawing for top 2 picks not 3
-Team can only move up 10 spots
-Team can only win lottery twice within 5 years (this starts in 2022)

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) March 23, 2021

The Montreal Canadiens have postponed their games through the weekend as a result of COVID protocols. The Leafs play in Ottawa on Thursday, and then against the Oilers on Saturday and Monday. So far those teams haven’t been put in the protocol.

The @CanadiensMTL’s games have been postponed through Sunday, March 28. https://t.co/zerM5CgqBf pic.twitter.com/rkH8qw83RN

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 23, 2021

The Leafs and Habs have six games between now and the end of the season. It’s possible some of those games get moved around.

One of the impacts, I believe, will be the NHL having to schedule games past Monday, May 10, which it had been able to avoid so far. But the schedule is so jammed in the second half, I think it's unavoidable for Montreal and Edmonton. Which will delay the start of the playoffs.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 23, 2021

Various Leafs and Branches

Insider Trading: Leafs’ primary trade target is Mikael Granlund | by: Katya

2021 NHL Draft Prospects to Watch 3.0 | by: Brigstew

Is an upgrade in goal an option for the Leafs? | by: TSN

William Nylander and Alex Galchenyuk are developing a happy friendship as linemates. Annie will, of course, have more on this development in the coming Fashion Recap.

Galchenyuk confirms his chance meeting with Nylander a couple of weeks ago and their good talk. Says he recognized the incognito Willy from his pink toque, while Nylander remembered Galchenyuk wears green shoes.

— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) March 23, 2021

Buds at work#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/AkuaSqVUru

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2021

The Leafs made a lot of moves yesterday, but none of them were really of consequence other than Timothy Liljegren being sent back to the AHL. The Toronto Marlies play tonight and I expect most/all the players below to be in that game.

Defenceman Mac Hollowell, defenceman Kristians Rubins and forward Scott Sabourin have been reassigned to the @MapleLeafs taxi squad.

Defenceman Martin Marincin, defenceman Timothy Liljegren and forward Nic Petan have been reassigned to the @TorontoMarlies.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 23, 2021

And regardless of these transactions, Sheldon Keefe is not changing his lineup.

#Leafs lines at practice:

Simmonds-Matthews-Marner
Galchenyuk-Tavares-Nylander
Thornton-Kerfoot-Spezza
Mikheyev-Engvall-Hyman

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogosian

SRS: Rubins, Hollowell, Sabourin, Barabanov

— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) March 23, 2021

Nature is healing.

Flyers just got booed off the ice by their fans.

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 23, 2021

Flowers are blooming.

Dougie Hamilton ladies and gentlemen 😂 pic.twitter.com/vDCeYIw9Pk

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 23, 2021

Update:

Referee Tim Peel no longer will be working NHL games now or in the future. https://t.co/mrnDc61W5P pic.twitter.com/tKsg2SwGh8

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 24, 2021