For the first time in seven seasons, referee Kelly Sutherland will not be in the Stanley Cup Final, and now Marty Biron has revealed it's league discipline for a brutal missed call in the Conference Final.
In the Rangers and Panthers series, Jacob Trouba threw a flying elbow that connected directly with Evan Rodrigues' head. It looked like a totally vicious hit for a player with a history of those offences, and yet Trouba was only assessed a two minute minor penalty for the hit after an officials' review on the ice.
Later on, the Department of Player issued Trouba a fine for the hit. According to Biron, this indicates that the NHL would've liked a harsher penalty for Trouba in that situation.
Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt are two of the NHL's most experienced referees which has got them into the Stanley Cup Final many times through their career, but this offence was too big to miss. It's good to actually see the NHL actually take some slight disciplinary measure towards their referees for poor performances. Earlier this season, Bruins GM Don Sweeney called for referees to be made available for questions. Across the league, there's growing desire for referee accountability.
We'll see this offseason if the NHL decides to make any real changes to officiating or the process around it. Given the strength of the Oilers special teams, officiating surely will be under the spotlight in the Stanley Cup Final.
