There’s plenty of chatter on the ice between referees and players. Those discussions run the gamut from friendly conversations to stern warnings.
The exchange between referee Tim Peel and New York Rangers center Derick Brassard late in the third period of Sunday’s game appeared to be more of the latter.
Brassard’s shift started with a brief chat with linesman Lonnie Cameron. After the whistle blew, Peel stepped in. He admonished Brassard, following the center to the Rangers bench.
“It’s just a long story, and he took it personally,” Brassard told the NY Post. “I was trying to be friendly, ask him what he’s up to. It was kind of weird.”
“Tim’s one of best refs in the league, he’s been around a long time,” Brassard said of the 16-year veteran, who’s worked over 1,000 NHL games. “I have a lot of respect for every ref, ever. I don’t want to be disrespectful. He took it the wrong way, I think. I was just kind of shocked.”
Brassard said what happened between him and Tim Peel (and he won't divulge root of it) was a "misunderstanding. AV called it "R-rated."
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) December 7, 2015
New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault downplayed the exchange.
“I think it was just a misunderstanding,” Vigneault said, as reported in the Post. “I like Timmy [Peel] a lot and I think Brass likes him too, so it was just a little misunderstanding. Boys will be boys sometimes, right?”
