How does Chris Lee still have a job?

[hoglund]

He's the most infamous ref that I know of and I've been a fan for twenty years. It's not just Montreal. He's absurdly awful and somehow he's reffing games deep into the playoffs. I don't get it. Is it seniority, good personal relationships? Because there's no way he can be here based on competency. I refuse to believe the league can't see it.

Kerry Fraser was worse and for some reason considered to be one of the better officials.

 

[SenzZen]

Man, does this guy miss Tim Peel...

 

[Paddyjack]

Strange considering Chris Lee handed the Habs the series win against the Sens in 2015 in game 6 when he blew down Pageau's goal.

I remember that goal, which was certainly a good goal. But there was nothing to be done on that one, he blew the whistle too early.

 

[Crosbyfan]

I don't like McNabb but Suzuki pushed him with 2 hands after the whistle and got a little left jab in the face for his troubles. Am I missing something more here? Could have been 2mins for the jab, but it wasn't anything grotesque.

If I recall correctly Suzuki's shove came after McNabb did much more of the same, all of which Lee clearly saw. At no point had Suzuki done any more than stickup for himself, and McNabb responded with a head shot.
However you may feel about it, no other professional sport condones this type of crap.
The NHL encourages it.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Strange considering Chris Lee handed the Habs the series win against the Sens in 2015 in game 6 when he blew down Pageau's goal.

Maybe he hates the French

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Kerry Fraser was worse and for some reason considered to be one of the better officials.

I know people hate Fraser for the non-call on Gretzky but in general I thought he was a good ref. I'd certainly consider him a better ref than guys like McGeough, O'Halloran, Lee.

 

[AzHawk]

NHL is at fault here for not publishing a rulebook in braille

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Montreal isn’t bringing in the big American TV money.

They just signed the American TV deal

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

They just signed the American TV deal

This week on Wednesday Night Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Chicago Blackhawks!

Tune in for next week's exciting rivalry featuring the LA Kings and the Boston Bruins!

 

[Lockin17]

All Chris Lee sucks, in the NHL and the UFC

 

[GM Armchair]

Don’t worry guys. The NHL fired the only ref that is known for making up penalties to change the outcome of games.

 

[miscs75]

This week on Wednesday Night Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Chicago Blackhawks!

Tune in for next week's exciting rivalry featuring the LA Kings and the Boston Bruins!

Philly fans feel insulted you left them out.

 

[Number8]

true. At least Habs brought in proven winners.pad their prime, sure but you look around that locker room you’re going to listen to Staal and Perry ahead of Thornton and spezza.

Exactly. Guys who have won it all are worth weight in gold at this time of year.

 

[Habssince89]

Chris Lees incompetent performance transcends fandom or bias. He is simply a terrible, terrible ref and should never work another game. I've seen countless other fanbase complain for years about this guy specifically. Officials in general need more accountability but Lee is by far the worst. Unacceptable for him to even be employed

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

All Chris Lee sucks, in the NHL and the UFC

But Christopher Lee rocks.

 

[ClydeLee]

Chris Lees incompetent performance transcends fandom or bias. He is simply a terrible, terrible ref and should never work another game. I've seen countless other fanbase complain for years about this guy specifically. Officials in general need more accountability but Lee is by far the worst. Unacceptable for him to even be employed

They have accountability.

You can even look up who reffed what serieses. Notably after the Peel incident it was posted a lot and how he never reffed a Stanley cup, not sure he even had many conference finals games either

The ref union seems to disagree about Lee since he is in the conference finals reffing here but I don't know his high playoff year history.

 

[Moose Head]

All Chris Lee sucks, in the NHL and the UFC

The actor was pretty good

 

[Habssince89]

They have accountability.

You can even look up who reffed what serieses. Notably after the Peel incident it was posted a lot and how he never reffed a Stanley cup, not sure he even had many conference finals games either

The ref union seems to disagree about Lee since he is in the conference finals reffing here but I don't know his high playoff year history.

HahahahahahahaHHahHHH

 

[ClydeLee]

HahahahahahahaHHahHHH

It literally is how who gets playoff series or not.

There's clear reasons Wes McCauley does Cup Final games nearly every year and some do none

 

[hoglund]

I know people hate Fraser for the non-call on Gretzky but in general I thought he was a good ref. I'd certainly consider him a better ref than guys like McGeough, O'Halloran, Lee.

It was waaaaaaay more than the Gretzky non call, it seemed like both Montreal and Toronto were on his hit list and all borderline calls went against them. He was a bad official, but I'm glad that he confessed about his missed call, too bad it was just before he retired.

 

[Gamimenos]

And now you‘ll lose 4-2.

Did you mean 4-3?

 

[habsfanatik]

Question is how Chris Lee got the job?

 

[Bruce Granville]

Did you mean 4-3?

The ref tonight was a disgrace. Don‘t panic, Vegas will win.

 

[Le Tricolore]

Are you new to hockey? Playoff hockey has always been reffed the same way every season. That said, there are certain lines that don't get crossed, if they do the series gets dirty and the refs lose control of it. Basically if you're willingly doing something to injure a player that's crossing the line.

The norm for blatant cheap shots in the playoffs is an instant call, that hasn't been the case this series.

The fact that playoffs have a different rulebook is a huge problem with hockey. Imagine watching the Super Bowl and the refs just not calling roughing the passer because it's the playoffs.

The NHL should decide on their rules and call games the same whether it's preseason or game 7 of the finals in overtime.

 

[Fenway]

The fact that playoffs have a different rulebook is a huge problem with hockey. Imagine watching the Super Bowl and the refs just not calling roughing the passer because it's the playoffs.

The NHL should decide on their rules and call games the same whether it's preseason or game 7 of the finals in overtime.

It goes back generations

In 1959 senior NHL referee Red Storey QUIT after Clarence Campbell questioned his courage after an ugly game in Chicago which CBC has no record of.

Storey was in Boston to work Game 7 of Leafs/Bruins and literally announced his retirement in a Boston barroom after being made aware of comments Campbell had made to an Ottawa columnist.

HNIC tried to explain what had happened during the Boston/Toronto game