Referees bias against Edmonton Oilers on full display

The refereeing in the NHL is nothing but inconsistent, and the Edmonton Oilers have been victim to awful officiating just as any other team has. However, some new stats are coming to light that show the Oilers are clearly on the wrong side of the referees.

Since January 1st this year, the Edmonton Oilers rank 30th across the league in powerplay opportunities - and that simply doesn't make sense. With the Oilers' generational talents, and especially the speed and elusiveness of McDavid, opponents are constantly clutching and grabbing at the Oilers and not getting penalty calls. This always ties into the league's real plan for officiating which isn't to call penalties, but to manage the game.

Usually, referees are looking to create even opportunities for powerplays for teams within games, and that's referred to as game management. The flip side of that means, if the Oilers are playing clean hockey and not taking penalties, they won't draw as many as they should be.


It's bizarre, but the officials in this league always seem to have it out for elite players, which of course would affect the Oilers in particular. Other teams take several penalties trying to defend against McDavid every single game, and recently referees have been continually tossing Leon Draisaitl out of the faceoff dot. Clearly something is going on, because it seems the Oilers have a tough relationship with the league's referees right now.