Toronto Maple Leafs’ criticism of officials could have implications

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have publicly stated that they are openly complaining about a penalty. The call is only part of the story. The team captain and head coach have publicly criticized that refereeing could become a bigger issue. Rightly or wrongly, the team did not do the officials a favor.

It didn’t take long for the Maple Leafs to argue with the NHL officials (THW Archives)

Discuss the offense well later, but what veteran Jason Spezza said in a post-game interview was more important than the appeal. It sheds some light on the big picture, you just talk to them (refs) and work with them. I think we matured a lot with them last year. We have gained a lot more respect from the referees. Spezzas has worked with NHL officials for two decades and last season the team had another longtime leader Joe Thornton. Without a doubt, the two veterans who carried letters had something to do with this high respect.

Related: 3 takeaways from the Maple Leafs 3-2 loss to the Senators

Spezza added, sometimes you scream if it’s hot. They are pros too. As long as you can keep a cool head and talk about it afterwards. You will not agree to all calls. But it’s important as a team, we have matured a lot in this area, we will continue to mature. We respect the referees. It’s hard work to do, but sometimes you don’t agree with the calls.

The Maple Leafs were given a brutal late penalty

Apparently, John Tavares didn’t get the same arguments as Spezza. The captain, who rarely says anything outside of the script, criticized a penalty. Brutal. I mean, I lifted the stick from the guy.

Sheldon Keefe, who usually doesn’t give much of an answer when asked about a specific penalty, said we’ve seen the crossover notes. Guys are well aware of this and they are adjusting to it. But I haven’t seen the memos about not being able to lift guys’ sticks. It’s new.

Can’t you guys lift the stick anymore?

Toronto lost a goal with 42 seconds left against the Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs pulled out the goalie, but Ottawa regained possession and threatened to return to the Maple Leafs’ zone. Tavares made a defensive play on Sens Connor Brown. The official immediately raised his arm, assessing a lock-picking penalty against Tavares, which virtually ended Toronto’s chances of evening the game. Tavares immediately protested and Keefe was furious. My lip reading skills tell me he said a few things I won’t repeat, but his main message was that the call was a joke. The reruns would appear to support this assessment.

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Adding to Keefes’ frustration, Pierre Engvall was called up for hook earlier in the period. While it wasn’t so clear, it looked like he had made a great defensive play, lifting the Senators Brown stick to prevent a scoring chance during a rush. Toronto was on the power play at the time. Keefe said, I don’t think it’s going to be the norm in the future, but it’s early in the season for everyone.

Maple leaves checking the rule book

For clarity, I have gone through the 226 pages of the official NHL rulebook for 2021-2022. There is no mention of a new penalty for lifting a stick. Rule 55.1 deals with and defines lockpicking: using the stick in a way that allows a player to restrain an opponent. When one player checks another in such a way that there is only stick-to-stick contact, such action shall not be penalized as a hook.

Toronto Maple Leafs Jason Spezza spoke about the importance of respect between officials and players (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Christopher Katsarov)

Either way, the Maple Leafs definitely have a case. But when those answers were given, the game was long over. The media and fans appreciate honest, non-cliché responses; this could result in a fine or, even worse, loss of respect between officials and the Maple Leafs.

Kevin Armstrong is an award-winning journalist with over two decades of experience. He has been a member of the rink for the World Junior Championships, Memorial Cups, Calder Cups and Stanley Cups. Like many Canadian children, his earliest memories include hockey. Kevin has spent countless hours in arenas across the country watching all levels of the game.

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