Brandon Walker TORONTO, ON —
NHL commissioner Gary Bettmen stated at a news conference yesterday that “Hockey needs to return to its roots.” The controversial officiating that has plagued the 2019 season thus far is only a reminder that the game needs to focus on the quality of play and be free of distractions. Bettmen stated “Owners across the league stated that the use of foreign tongues is diminishing the quality of play and contributing to poor officiating.”
In a bid to help keep the distractions to a minimum, and to return to a more pure form of the game, NHL commissioner Bettman and team owners recently decided to draft a new rule that will impose a new 2 min Minor penalty to any player caught speaking French on the ice. This new rule will be immediately enforced next year, and players that refuse to speak English will receive a fine of $25,000 USD per game for repeated infractions.
