A penalty ruling in the AHL’s Calder Cup Finals left Chicago Wolves color commentator Bill Gardner furious.
In the second period of Saturday’s Game 2 between the Wolves (Carolina Hurricanes affiliate) and the Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs affiliate), Chicago was called for a slashing penalty that resulted in a penalty shot for Toronto’s Alex Nylander.
Gardner sounded off about the official and the “disgusting” call.
The Chicago broadcast is going IN on the officiating after Alex Nylander was awarded a penalty shot & scored to tie Game 2 of the #CalderCup Finals. 🫢@InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/FhNH0a8gaL
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 14, 2026
“There’s a stick in the right side. It’s just a push of a hand!” Gardner said as the AHL TV broadcast on FloHockey showed a replay. “And that is a penalty shot? That referee should never referee another game in the playoffs! That is disgusting! What a terrible call! Yeah, it’s okay; call a minor. That’s a penalty shot? Come on!”
“That referee should never work another game in the Calder Cup Final,” Gardner, a former NHL player and a former color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks, continued. “Unbelievable! It changed the whole game.”
Nylander went on to score on the penalty shot to tie the game 2-2.
Pretty soft slashing call on Alex Nylander’s break-in results in a penalty shot, and the Toronto forward scores on the resulting penalty shot to tie Game 2 at 2-2.@InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/EB4qA5Hxam
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 14, 2026
“And that’s a penalty shot?” Gardner added. “I don’t agree with that at all. Wow! That is brutal! I was waiting for the hack… That is terrible refereeing again! How many times? He hardly touched him! My goodness!”
Toronto won 5-4 in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals.
Logan Shaw just able to stuff a puck past the skate of Cayden Primeau on the post to lift @TorontoMarlies to a 5-4 OT win in Game 2 of the #CalderCup Finals to take a 2-0 series lead.
Toronto two wins away from a championship returning home for Games 3, 4 & 5. @InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/0Mq0iYcpju
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 14, 2026
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.