NHL Tries To Rein In Coaches From Screaming At Officials By Showing Video Clips Of Them Screaming At Officials

The NHL is reportedly trying to get its coaches to think twice before they unload a deluge of expletives at the fellas wearing stripes.

According to a piece from The Athletic, the league attempted to curb some of the vitriol directed at officials by showing coaches a series of clips at a meeting in Chicago over the offseason.

"At the end of his presentation, cued up a video montage, broadcast on TVs around the room, showing roughly 20 clips of the biggest names in the coaching ranks going off on officials," wrote Michael Russo and Joe Smith. "Fists shaken. Fiery red faces. F-bombs flying."

The article quotes Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer who said that Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice "stole the show." Maurice has been known to let 'er rip when talking to officials about calls he didn't particularly care for.

Here he is from his days in Winnipeg.

Well... that was a fun lip-reading exercise, wasn't it?

The NHL Can Do All It Wants, Coaches Will Continue To Yell At Officials And Fans Will Eat It Up

The video the league showed was presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but it was clear that the NHL would prefer if coaches checked themselves before they went off.

That seems completely impossible, plus, while the officials might prefer to not be on the receiving end of a tirade, more often than not, fans dig it.

Don't believe me? Have a listen the next time an MLB manager marches out to argue with an umpire.

I'm all about respect, but this sort of thing happens in the heat of the moment. There's no way that a coach who is fuming over a lousy call will stop mid-tirade and think, "Hang on, I can't call him a f---ing assh--e because the league asked me to."

Plus, the league already has rules in place against officials. Several including Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes were dealt $25,000 fines for this very thing last season.

Reminding coaches that referees are people too isn't a bad idea. Still, it's just a matter of time before we see the first coach freakout of the 2023-24 season.

Now, while we're on the topic of coaching freakout, I'd be remiss if I didn't include former Abbotsford Heat head coach Jim Playfair having a freakout for the ages more than a decade ago)

Classic.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle