The NHL’s top disciplinarian is looking into Vancouver Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows’ spat with referee Stephane Auger.
An NHL spokesman said Tuesday that Colin Campbell, the NHL’s vice-president of hockey operations, was reviewing the matter. It was not known if the league would issue a statement or announce any disciplinary action.
Burrows accused Auger of making payback penalty calls against him in the third period of the Canucks’ 3-2 home loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday night.
Burrows said Auger told him during the pre-game warmup he was going to ”get me back” for an incident during a Canucks-Predators game Dec. 8 in Nashville. In that contest, Nashville’s Jerred Smithson received a major and game misconduct for charging Burrows but the call was later oveturned by the league because it said the Canucks’ forward took a dive on the play.
On Monday night, Auger called Burrows for diving and interference in the third period. A 10-minute misconduct followed with four seconds left in the game.
”It was personal,” said Burrows. ”The ref came over to me and said I made him look bad in Nashville on the Smithson hit.
”He said he was going to get me back tonight and he did his job in the third.”
When asked if he expected to be suspended for criticizing an official, Burrows said: ”I don’t know, but I think he (Auger) should sit out the rest of the year, making calls like that.”
Auger has been an NHL official since 2000.