NHL referee Tim Peel has been banned from ever working an NHL game after a hot microphone caught the two decade-veteran saying he "wanted" to give the Nashville Predators a penalty.
Microphones caught Peel saying with 12:42 remaining in the second period, "it wasn't much, but I wanted to get a f---ing penalty against Nashville early."
As a result, Peel has been banned by the NHL from ever reffing another game.
NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell released a statement via ESPN that read:
Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game. Tim Peel's conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand of our officials and that our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve. There is no justification for his comments, no matter the context or his intention, and the National Hockey League will take any and all steps necessary to protect the integrity of our game.
