Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien had some time to sit and think about what he’d said to referee Chris Lee.
A whistle stopped play with 13:21 remaining in the third period of Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, with the score tied 2-2. O’Brien skated by the veteran official, sharing his thoughts on a previous play.
Whatever #Yotes Liam O'Brien said to referee Chris Lee, it was enough to send him to detention. The Coyotes winger had 10 long minutes to contemplate his comments: https://t.co/A12fyDEKKg pic.twitter.com/2Tj0VwO1Cr
— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) February 24, 2022
No specifics on what was said, and the video didn’t capture it. Ice-level reporter Nabil Karim refused to relay the comments, citing that ‘this is a family show.’
Of course, referee Chris Lee knows all about keeping things clean – especially with a hot mic.
Hot mic in Chicago. Ref tells a complaining Andrew Peeke "Shut the f…" pic.twitter.com/5k8hyGnY3B
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 18, 2022
O’Brien had been called for tripping earlier in the game.
Whatever it was, it was enough for Lee to give O’Brien a ten-minute misconduct penalty. Once he got out of the box, he stayed on the bench. The gritty forward never saw another shift in the game.
O’Brien now leads the league with 106 penalty minutes. He has two goals and one assist in 36 games played.
