Referee Wes McCauley and his family were reportedly threatened after the Toronto Maple Leafs’ opening round Game 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Star’s Kevin McGran reported on the threats.
Online anger boiled over when McCauley was one of the two referees in the first game of the playoffs for the Leafs, a 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the game in which Michael Bunting earned a three-game suspension.
A league source told the Star that there were threats made against McCauley’s family that night, feeding off the frenzy that McCauley and Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe have a long-standing beef that goes beyond the ice.
Scouting the Refs was also made aware that personal and identifying information about McCauley was shared online; those posts have since been deleted.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach commented on the officiating – ref Wes McCauley, in particular – prior to Sunday’s Game 3 against the Florida Panthers.
Leafs’ Keefe Addresses McCauley ‘Controversy’ Prior to Game 3