NHL fines Craig MacTavish

[Humpzilla]

TSN.ca Staff

11/4/2006 3:26:47 PM

Edmonton Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish has been fined $10,000 by the National Hockey League for remarks made following Friday night's game against the Dallas Stars.

"The NHL acknowledges the fact that referee Mick McGeough made the wrong call on a play late in the game, which he later admitted to the media following the game," said NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell in a statement.

"While the NHL regrets the missed call, Craig MacTavish's comments after the game regarding the call were totally inappropriate and crossed the line."

Atlanta Thrashers head coach Bob Hartley, was also assessed a gross misconduct and fined $10,000 for verbal abuse of the officials at the conclusion of Friday night's game against Washington.

The McGeough incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrpxnkTlAKU

You get fined.... for this?

[Blouin]

terrible call, it was a stick pass, but the coach should not react after the game the way he did. It wont change anything and now he got fined.

[Redtown]

Why didn't McGeough get fined?

[Humpzilla]

Originally Posted by Redtown

Why didn't McGeough get fined?

Because McGoo gave Gary Bettwoman and Colon Campbell an offer they couldn't refuse....

[Smerri1029]

I don't understand why the play isn't reviewable. The ref realized he made a mistake. Why not let him call upstairs to get it corrected. However, it is another example of how the officials are killing the sport.

Also, what was Hartley irate about?

[yatyas]

That was a terrible call and truth be know the Stars shouldn't have won the game. The Morrow goal should have been called interference and I have no idea what that call was, but it was terrible. I don't understand why players and coaches can't say what they want. Mark Cuban get's fined every year for remarks, players and coaches in every sport get fined, but it's ok when a ref does that? An outcome of any sporting event should never be decided by the refs, I don't understand why the leagues don't allow players and coaches to voice their opinions. Aren't they protected under our Constitution as well?

[canuckfan]

Originally Posted by Redtown

Why didn't McGeough get fined?

I'm sure McGeough will be reprimanded in some way, but it will never be made public. I read Ray Scapinello's "Between the Lines" and he wrote that bad calls and judments are always addressed by the league's head office and head of officiating. The results of their meetings with the officials after bad calls like these are never ever made public...its all dealt with internally.

Everyone knows McGeough isn't the greatest referee out there, although he does have plenty of experience, but I don't recall him every working any important games, like game 7's or in the finals.

Regardless, I can understand MacTavish's frustration, they got shafted big time last night, but he should have bit his tongue and moved on. Calling a ref and his call "retarded" will land you in some pretty hot water, no matter what league you're coaching in. MacT definitley crossed the line in that respect.

[Isles4life]

I think MacTavish saying he wanted a point in the standings is pretty funny. Yes it was a terrible call. Yes it should have been reversed at the time. Yes he had a right to be irate, but to seriously expect comepensation in the standings after the game ended is really unrealistic.

[dtdc2k3]

Originally Posted by yatyas

Aren't they protected under our Constitution as well?

not in canada

[OilersHockey]

Originally Posted by Isles4life

I think MacTavish saying he wanted a point in the standings is pretty funny. Yes it was a terrible call. Yes it should have been reversed at the time. Yes he had a right to be irate, but to seriously expect comepensation in the standings after the game ended is really unrealistic.

He was making a point... not being literal.

[headhunter55]

Can't get on MCT for that. He was pissed and thats what pissed coaches do. Myself- I would have went looking for Mic.

Question: Cant the linesmen (whose eyes were two feet from the stick) say something. In baseball if one guy sees something he lets the other guy know and they get together and get it right. Why not here?

[paint huffer]

Originally Posted by Smerri1029

I don't understand why the play isn't reviewable. The ref realized he made a mistake. Why not let him call upstairs to get it corrected. However, it is another example of how the officials are killing the sport.

It can't be reviewed because when a whistle goes a lot of players will stop playing. Granted it was only a split second, but that split second could be the difference of the quarter of an inch a defender may have moved his stick to deflect the shot. A lot can happen in a split second in hockey so that's why the play is dead as soon a a whistle goes, and I have no problem with that. Now I'm not taking away from how brutal this call was. The goal should have counted and McGeough is an idiot. But at the same rate I can certainly understand why the play is not reviewable.

[OilersHockey]

Originally Posted by paint huffer

It can't be reviewed because when a whistle goes a lot of players will stop playing. Granted it was only a split second, but that split second could be the difference of the quarter of an inch a defender may have moved his stick to deflect the shot. A lot can happen in a split second in hockey so that's why the play is dead as soon a a whistle goes, and I have no problem with that. Now I'm not taking away from how brutal this call was. The goal should have counted and McGeough is an idiot. But at the same rate I can certainly understand why the play is not reviewable.

True...

But the goalie interference in the first period (which BTW was a far worse call than this one IMO - Mac T's quote was "Mic sure found a way to make us forget how bad the call in the first was") WAS reviewable... they neglected to go upstairs and THAT cost the Oilers the game as well...

[vznyisleszv]

Originally Posted by canuckfan

Regardless, I can understand MacTavish's frustration, they got shafted big time last night, but he should have bit his tongue and moved on. Calling a ref and his call "retarded" will land you in some pretty hot water, no matter what league you're coaching in. MacT definitley crossed the line in that respect.

MacTavish shouldn't have to bite his tounge and move on. Watch this game actually effect the Oilers later in the year.

What the ref did was RETARDED. I don't expect a HORRIBLE call (actually, we should) from NHL refs... More power to MacTavish. If I was him, I'd give McGoo hell every game he refs for the rest of the year. "Hey Magoo, you going to ruin this game for us too?"

"OPEN YOUR EYES MOTHER ****ER!"

I see nothing wrong with it. It just proves my point further in the NHL 2012 thread, the NHL is banning foul language now too...

[canuckfan]

Originally Posted by vznyisleszv

I see nothing wrong with it. It just proves my point further in the NHL 2012 thread, the NHL is banning foul language now too...

Wrong. The NHL learned its lesson back in 1987 when Jim Schoenfeld told referee Koharski to eat another donut and then called him a fat pig. Not suspending Schoenfeld was a P.R. nightmare and a blackeye on the league. Since then the NHL has always been quick to defend their officials and dole out punishment to those players and coaches who cross the line in their criticisms, which MacTavish did on Friday night. I'll bet anything by the next morning MacT KNEW he was going to be fined some amount of dollars and was probably expecting it.

Everyone knew it was a bad call, even McGeough said so. Everyone knows McGeough is not the league best referee, thats why he rarely appears in the Stanley Cup finals. But the bottom line is MacTavish should have bit his tongue instead of calling a league official and his call "retarded." That was going a bit too far and any professional sports league would have doled out the same kind of fine and punishment.

The NHL would have acted in the exact same manner 2, 5, 10, 15 years ago. The fact this is a "new" NHL has nothing to do with this situation.