Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment might be finding himself in some hot water with the NHL for an encounter with a referee near the end of the second period of Sunday’s 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets.
Marchment was angry that no penalty was called on Jets forward Mark Scheifele after he was knocked to the ice.
In brief moment of frustration, Marchment proceeded to give referee Graham Skilliter a subtle slash on the shin as they skated by each other.
Have a look.
Is that the most aggressive slash? No.
Did Skilliter even seem to realize that it happened? Also no.
But none of that should matter here in the eyes of the league. No matter how much the on-ice officials are criticized, no matter how inconsistent you might think they are and no matter what is happening on the ice during a game and a series, a player can not make contact with them in a moment of frustration, especially with their stick.
The NHL has fined players this postseason for things as simple as lobbing the puck at opposing nets during warmups. It can not turn a blind eye toward a player striking a referee out of frustration over a missed call. And a fine might not be enough, even if Marchment apparently apologized.
The NHL goes out of its way to protect its officials when it comes to backing up their calls. It should also go out of its way to protect them from stuff like this. You simply can not hit a referee, even if it is not an overly egregious hit.
