Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn’t afraid to criticize the referees’ work.
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Last Sunday, during the game against the Buffalo Sabres, defenseman Cale Makar felt pain after being hit in the back by forward Kyle Okposo. The star player hit the boards violently. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and returned to the game.
However, the Avalanche committed a foul when the referees did not give Okposo a penalty. Nathan MacKinnon expressed his displeasure with the officials and received a 10-minute misconduct penalty.
“There was frustration in our ranks because this punishment was not imposed. [Makar] is a key player for us,” Bednar said during postgame press conferences against the Sabres.
“I wish the referees would be more accommodating in a situation like this,” he added of the events surrounding MacKinnon. We knew they had missed a penalty or decided not to give it. I think we should accept more intense emotions from players in this situation and not give 10 minute penalties.
Before hostilities began in 2023 and 2024, the National League sent a letter to its teams informing them that criticism of referees should be less publicly present. Apparently Bednar didn’t get the memo.