Hockey

"What Were the Refs Thinking?": Former NHL Referee Dave Jackson on Arber Xhekaj’s Flyers Penalty Controversy

Published: Nov 1, 2024, 11:21 AM
1 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025, 10:51 AM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov
Arber Xhekaj #72 of the Montreal Canadiens

Arber Xhekaj #72 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

 

A lot is being made about what happened Sunday evening between Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier and defenseman Nick Seeler. After a scrum ensued between Xhekaj and Couturier, Seeler jumped in as the third man and began throwing punches as well. However, Xhekaj was the only player for whom the referees assessed a penalty. Unfairly or not, that was the outcome of the play.  

That left many people wondering why Xhekaj was the only one being penalized. Was this based on reputation, or did Xhekaj actually commit an infraction? Former NHL referee and current ESPN Dave Jackson told RG he does not think the penalty assessed to Arber Xhekaj was based on reputation.  

"I would sure hope not," Jackson said. "I mean, you know a player's reputation if you have been in the league for a long time. The last thing you want to do, though, is treat that player unfairly."  

It was a delicate situation involving Xhekaj, Couturier, and Seeler because, as social media does, the situation gets overblown. Many people thought Seeler got a “Third Man In” penalty because Xhekaj and Couturier took their gloves off to fight. Just because the players took their gloves does not mean a penalty should be called. There is no penalty for dropping your gloves.

However, the referees determined it to be a scrum, not a fight, so nothing was called. For a “Third Man In” penalty to be assessed, it must be associated with a fight, where five-minute majors are assessed. Thus, in the case of Xhekaj, he was the only player to get a penalty. Jackson believes the referees assessed a penalty to Xhekaj because he stopped the play looking for a fight after a clean hit preceded everything.  

"I'm not saying the referees couldn't have called the minor penalty on either Couturier or Seeler for unsportsmanlike conduct. That's certainly an option, and it probably would have saved a lot of complaining, a lot of head-scratching and all that," Jackson continued. "But again, going back to the question, what were the referees thinking? And in my best guess, the referee thought a clean hit was made. Xhekaj went after the player, making the clean hit and challenged him to fight, causing a stoppage of play. If he doesn't do that, we just keep playing. And the referee decided the Montreal player caused everything. He's getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty."

In his short career in Montreal, Arber Xhekaj has been a physical force on the Canadiens defense. He has had his fair share of altercations and fights in his short career. However, what happened Sunday night

"From what I have heard, I still know guys in the League. Xhekaj is a stand-up guy, a class act. He stands up for his teammates," Jackson said. "He seems to be a really good guy. I mean, I don't think anybody would have it out for him. It just wouldn't make sense. He's a good standup guy and a clean hockey player. He's not dirty whatsoever."

Reporter
Having 10 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, Rod Pedersen Show, Raw Mike Richards Show, and more) covering the Devils, the NHL along with College Football, the NFL, and the tennis circuit Jim Biringer has wealth of sports knowledge. As one of Jim's hockey coaches put it he is a "student of the game." During his time as a sports reporter, Biringer has covered some of the biggest events including most recently the 2024 Stanley Cup Final along with several NHL Drafts. He is also the host of the Full Press Hockey Podcast and Final Word on Hockey plus Around Campus - The College Football Podcast.
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NHL Writers

Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria Tuboltseva has worked as a sports journalist since 2014 and has specialized in hockey coverage since 2016. She’s reported from some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the Olympic Games (Beijing 2022), the FIFA World Cup (2018), the IIHF World Championships (2016–2019, 2021), the IIHF World Junior Championship (2019), and every Gagarin Cup Final since 2017.

Her work has appeared in leading Russian sports outlets like Championat.com and Sport24, as well as on the official websites of the KHL and the Women’s Hockey League (WHL). Daria has conducted exclusive interviews with some of the sport’s most recognized names, including Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Kirill Kaprizov, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Igor Shesterkin.

Beyond her writing, Daria brings extensive on-camera experience. She hosted NHL Today on Yandex.Efir and has produced powerful long-form projects such as the documentary Lokomotiv Crash and the series Hockey Country, featuring stars like Ovechkin, Malkin, Bobrovsky, Vasilevskiy, and Panarin. Her work has taken her to NHL games across North America and international events like the NHL Global Series in Europe.

In addition to her media career, Daria is a certified integrative nutritionist with a focus on sports nutrition. She works one-on-one with KHL players, helping them optimize performance and recovery through tailored nutrition plans. Her ability to blend media expertise with athlete support gives her a unique presence in the professional hockey world.

Daria publishes in both English and Russian and is the creator of the Telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth, where she shares insights, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the hockey world.

Based in: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Languages: English, Russian

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