Alexandre Texier’s penalty: People are wondering if the NHL is trying to help the Canadiens

Félix Forget
Alexandre Texier’s penalty: People are wondering if the NHL is trying to help the Canadiens
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

On Saturday night, Alexandre Texier was called for a bad penalty. The Frenchman took a swing at K'Andre Miller right where it hurts… but he got off pretty lightly.

He was only assessed a two-minute penalty for a “stick check,” even though he had initially been given a five-minute penalty.

Obviously, none of this went over well with the Hurricanes, who felt the penalty was pretty lenient on Texier. Except that, in reality, the Hurricanes might not be the only ones who didn't appreciate the officials' decision.

Renaud Lavoie, during his segment on BPM Sports this afternoon, stated that people had spoken to him about the incident and wondered whether the decision to give two minutes instead of five might have come… from the NHL itself.

The source explains that this isn't what he thinks: it's just what he's heard. People feel that the call might have been different if the roles had been reversed.

Obviously, this is a far cry from the usual narrative suggesting that Gary Bettman doesn't want to see a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup. You're free to believe that narrative or not, but we hear it often.

Financially speaking, it's true that a final featuring the Canadiens would be more profitable for the NHL (which receives all revenue from ticket sales in the final) than a final featuring the Hurricanes. There would be more excitement, and a final between the Habs and the Golden Knights could be marketed to fans as a showdown between Martin St. Louis and his former coach, John Tortorella.

But to go so far as to think the league is trying to help the Habs win seems a bit far-fetched.

One might wonder if the referees should have been tougher on Texier for his move, but on the other hand, one might also wonder if Taylor Hall should have been penalized for his check on Lane Hutson.

Let's just say that the explanation of inconsistent officiating seems a lot easier to believe than that of a grand conspiracy in favor of the Habs. But there are still people who are wondering about the second theory.


In a nutshell

– Make your predictions.

– We wish him well.

– The Blue Jays have made their decision.

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