"Did I give Sid Crosby some breaks over the years? Did I give
Alexander Ovechkin? Did I give the superstars? Absolutely, 'cause – guess what? – That's what the 18,000 fans are there to see. They're there to see him, not some fourth-line plugger."<\q>
It probably doesn't come as a shock that certain players get preferential treatment from officials. Sometimes the NHL themselves are responsible for giving players preferential treatment, but to have a former official admit to it so publicly is something that I'm sure the NHL would like to have avoided.
Though Peel will never officiate an NHL game again, the speculation about game management in hockey has not subsided since his dismissal and given his latest comments will likely be discussed further in the future.