Former NHL ref exposes the reason behind bias against Bunting
In case you haven't been paying attention, Michael Bunting has had a rough time lately. The Leafs' best agitator would have to be dismembered to draw a call at this point, and even then, would probably find himself in the box for embellishment anyway. It's reached the point where Kyle Dubas is having to step in and file a complaint with the league. The massive swing in his penalties drawn vs. penalties taken ratio is concrete proof that NHL referees are choosing to call him differently.
In an interview with The Leafs Nation, former NHL referee Dave Jackson was asked about the situation with Bunting. After admitting to not watching many Leafs games, he had this to say:
So, there you have it, according to Jackson, there is absolutely NO bias among NHL referees. That's a great notion, but the next words out of his mouth contradicted his first point completely.
To summarize, NHL refs have no bias whatsoever, except with the players they feel have "duped" them. In that case, they'd rather miss a call than make the wrong one. In other words, NHL refs have no bias, except for the players they're biased against. The problem is that what happens is a guy who was getting a few too many calls now gets absolutely none. It's a massive overcorrection that, if it continues into the playoffs, could very well sink the Maple Leafs.
Of course, with Bunting's play style being heavily influenced by Brad Marchand, Jackson gave his thoughts on the Bruins' Little Ball of Hate as well. This doesn't directly relate to Bunting, but it does confirm the belief long held by Leaf fans that something fishy is going on in Boston. Marchand is and has been one of the dirtiest players in the league for well over a decade. Sadly, NHL referees somehow miss all this, believing instead that Marchand is some sort of reformed and rehabilitated player.
I have no idea what Brad Marchand has done to get so deep into the referees' good books, but Bunting needs to study it and apply it himself. If the referees don't lay off with the fabricated calls and start calling Bunting like every other player, it's going to be extremely difficult for him to be at his best against Tampa in the playoffs. Even worse, it will be difficult for Sheldon Keefe to justify sending him out there knowing he's being targeted by the completely unbiased and fair referees the NHL employs.
You can listen to the full interview below:
| POLL | ||
6 AVRIL | 242 ANSWERS Former NHL ref exposes the reason behind bias against Bunting Is Michael Bunting being treated unfairly by the refs? | ||
| Yes, very obviously | 184 | 76 % |
| It's not as bad as it's being made out to be | 34 | 14 % |
| He's getting what he deserves | 19 | 7.9 % |
| NHL referees don't have bias | 5 | 2.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
