I understand why he was canned - he should never had actually said that. But honestly, game management has always been a part of their jobs. I’ve come to accept that, and actually can kind of understand it. Imagine if the Canucks were being particularly careless and got called for 8 infractions while the other team got none. We’d be outraged and calling for a ref’s head. That’s where game management comes in, whether you think it’s right or wrong. There’s a balancing out for the most part, and serious infractions are still called.
It’s far from a perfect system, but this is more than a sports business; it’s also an entertainment business. All of that said, some nights it seems like refs are more interested in hurting a team’s chances than trying to keep a game somewhat balanced and managed, and that’s where it becomes sour for me.