Upon Further Review, Kings Were Cheated

The worst part of the Kings’ Game 1 loss is not so much that they were cheated out of what replays clearly showed was a goal. It is that the on-ice officials failed to give the upstairs video goal judge the additional 30 seconds or so he needed to make a definitive decision. Moreover, the referees refused, as they too often do, to explain their ruling to Coach Murray.

As a sports official myself, communication with players and coaches is probably the most important part of my work. Stephane Auger and Kerry Fraser’s failure to extend this basic courtesy to Murray suggests bias against the Kings, breeds sincere frustration and represents arrogance and officiousness of the highest order.

Jordan Chodorow

Los Angeles