The long-time NHL referee was caught in an unfortunate hot-mic moment on Tuesday night, leading to pretty swift action from the NHL offices. The league announced on Tuesday that Peel’s services would no longer be needed on the ice.
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The NHL’s statement in full:
Peel was scheduled to ref his last game on April 24, meaning the NHL did, in fact, give Peel an early exit from the league after more than 1,300 regular-season games officiated and 90 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Peel was removed indefinitely and not fired, which is important to note, meaning Peel will still be paid and receive his pension after retirement.
While some fans were distraught with Peel’s unfiltered on-ice comments, others were more understanding of the situation. Here’s why:
What did Tim Peel say?
During Tuesday night’s Red Wings-Predators matchup, Peel was caught on a hot mic saying that he wanted to call a penalty on Nashville before the broadcast cut to commercial.
(Warning: Video contains NSFW language.)
“It wasn’t much but I wanted to get a f—ing penalty against Nashville early in the —,” Peel says before the broadcast cuts away.
Part of the understanding of the video is the situation: Speculation deems that Peel was supposedly aiming for a makeup call in favor of the Red Wings, as referees are wont to do in sports.
Others still were critical of Peel’s seeming vocal admission of wanting to administer a makeup call.
In any case, Peel is out and the NHL still has a big ol’ officiating mess on its hands.
