20 NHL Superstars Who've Received the Most Preferential Treatment from Refs

The perception is out there: The best players in the league may get some protection from the referees because you really won’t have a game to sell to the public if the best players are not there.

There’s nothing conspiratorial about this theory. It’s just good business.

If your best players are out on the ice and performing at their best, the public will want to come out to see them play. If those players have been hurt because of reckless play by their opponents, the sport gets damaged.

But when speaking about specific players, the best we can do is provide educated guesses, anecdotal evidence and some empirical data.

How would referees protect the game’s best players? By calling more penalties on their opponents.

Hockey website BehindTheNet.Ca keeps track of penalties drawn by each player. While that stat may have more to do with players who are difficult to defend and force opponents to commit penalties to stop them or slow them down, it may also indicate when a player is getting extra “protection” from those that call the game.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Prior to suffering a serious concussion in the Winter Classic game against the Washington Capitals in 2011 and then taking another serious hit in the following game, Crosby was considered the best and most valuable player in the NHL.

He was unable to return and then stay in the lineup until well over a year had passed. It seems quite natural that the league’s officials will protect Crosby to keep him from getting hurt.

While Crosby is a superior talent because of his skating, passing and shooting skills, he often plays the game on the edge, and opponents like the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers have not been thrilled that Crosby will dish out the occasional elbow or hit from behind.

He has also been accused of slew-footing opponents (source: CSNPhilly). As more of these accusations are made, it may mean that he will get less protection from the referees.

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

While his goal production has slipped over the last two seasons, Ovechkin is one of the game’s most marketable players.

He is one of the players that fans pay to see, whether he is playing at home in Washington or on the road. As a result, officials will make calls when he is tripped, elbowed or roughed.

Ovechkin has a tendency to sell these calls more than most, and when he does not get a call, he will appeal to the crowd with eye rolls and hand gestures.

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay

The diminutive St. Louis has been one of the most exciting players in the league for years, and he is also a gutsy athlete who regularly competes against players who are significantly taller and outweigh him by 30 pounds or more.

St. Louis’ speed and quickness give him a distinct look when he is flying around the offensive zone, and if he takes a big hit and goes flying, it gives officials the impetus to call penalties and protect him.

Former Lightning head coach (and current New York Rangers bench boss) John Tortorella regularly called for officials to protect St. Louis (source: St. Petersburg Times), and it seems they have listened over the years.

Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

The puck is almost always on his stick when the Canucks are in the offensive zone, and he regularly likes to operate from Gretzky’s office, so he can throw the puck to open teammates. If Sedin loses the puck or he doesn’t make the pass, there’s got to be a reason.

It seems like the refs tend to favor Sedin, and if he doesn’t make a play that leads to a scoring opportunity, it’s because he was taken out of the play and a call will likely ensue.

That was not the case in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals when he was hammered by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas and officials let the play go.

Ray Whitney, Dallas Stars

Whitney is a clever veteran who signed with the Stars this summer as a free agent. His play last season had a lot to do with the Phoenix Coyotes getting to the playoffs and winning two rounds.

Whitney likes to cut in from the boards, work his way into the prime scoring areas between the circles and fire his slick wrister. As he cuts into that area, opponents may be forced out of position and tend to swipe at him.

This results in penalty calls that worked out in the Coyotes’ favor and may now work out on behalf of Dallas.

Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs

There’s no perception that Phaneuf is a darling of the officials who will get “protection.”

However, BehindTheNet.Ca has shown Phaneuf to be among the leaders of defensemen at drawing penalties.

Apparently, officials believe that if a rugged defenseman like Phaneuf hits the ice, there must be a reason and they favor him with penalty calls against opponents.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Chara is not only the biggest player in the NHL, but he is also the largest player in NHL history, at 6’9” and 260 lbs. Chara is big, strong and powerful and is the ideal shutdown defenseman.

While he lacks the quickness and agility of a smaller man, he is a solid puck-carrier. When he loses his footing while carrying the puck or if he goes down in the corner, referees may be of the opinion that he went down as a result of an illegal hit.

BehindTheNet.Ca lists Chara among the leaders of defensemen who draw penalties.

John Tavares, New York Islanders

The No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft has improved every season and is one of the rising stars in the league.

If the Islanders are going to become a playoff team anytime soon, it will be Tavares that leads them.

As a result, he gets more attention from opposing defenses than any other player on the team. Opponents who attempt to chop him down draw penalty calls because the officials need to protect one of the league’s bright young hopes.

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

He is one of the hardest-working players in the league and the Blackhawks’ best all-around player.

He has clearly earned his nickname of “Captain Serious,” and he does not usually include diving as part of his repertoire.

As a result, officials will protect him, and if they see him go down, they will call penalties. This may occur with greater regularity this year since Toews suffered a concussion (source: Chicago Sun-Times) last season.  

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk is probably the most skilled player in the league. Nobody—not even Crosby—can string moves together like Datsyuk when he has the puck on his stick.

Datsyuk delivers thrills to the paying customer, and officials need to make sure that Datsyuk stays upright. They have to protect him for the good of the game.

Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens

It was two years ago that Pacioretty was crunched by a brutal Chara check into the stanchion at the Bell Center. That hit placed Chara under great scrutiny, but it also changed Pacioretty’s status.

Pacioretty missed the rest of the 2010-11 season, but he bounced back with an excellent 33-goal, 65-point season. Pacioretty has established himself as one of the Canadiens’ most important players, and officials will not let opponents take liberties with him since he has suffered enough.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Stamkos is one of the most dynamic players in the league, and he is coming off of a season in which he led the NHL with 60 goals.

He has a chance to develop into a goal scorer like Jari Kurri or Mike Bossy if he can continue at his current rate.

You can’t just hammer away at Stamkos. He’s much to valuable to the league, and the officials will protect him.

David Krejci, Boston Bruins

While the Bruins are not always happy with Krejci’s consistency when it comes to putting the puck in the net, he is one of the most clever playmakers in the league. Give him just a few feet of daylight and he can make a play.

Officials know this, too, and they will call penalties against opponents when he does not complete the play.

According to BehindTheNet.Ca, Krejci was on the ice for 4.0 penalties called on Bruins opponents for each 60 minutes played.

Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres

Vanek is one of the most skilled shooters in the league, but he doesn’t always play with the effort that Lindy Ruff would like to see from him.

However, when Vanek makes a move, he becomes a very dangerous player. Opponents realize this and go after him.

Vanek was on the ice for 3.7 penalties called on Sabres’ opponents for each 60 minutes played.

Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings

Brown led the NHL in penalties drawn in the 2009-10 season, and he has always excelled in that area. Brown drives hard to the net, and he’s so bull strong that it’s almost impossible to bring him down without some kind of illegal move.

At least that's the perception of the officials.

Brown was on the ice for 3.8 penalties called on Kings’ opponents for each 60 minutes played.

Gregory Campbell, Boston Bruins

There has been a perception around the league that the Bruins receive favorable treatment from the officials.

This stance was pronounced by San Jose Shark (and former Bruin) Joe Thornton (source: Toronto Globe and Mail), who said that concussions suffered by Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron have compelled officials to look out for the Bruins and protect them.

Campbell, a penalty-killer and a third- and fourth-line player, gets the mention here because his father, Colin Campbell, was the NHL’s dean of discipline prior to Brendan Shanahan. 

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

While the Flyers still maintain much of their bad boy image because of the Broad Street Bully reputation the team earned in the mid-1970s, Giroux is an artistic and explosive player who can draw penalties with the best of them.

While it seems officials are regularly looking for a Flyer to tag with a penalty, it also seems they will make the call when Giroux goes down in the offensive zone.

Jamie Langenbrunner, St. Louis Blues

The veteran forward has always been known for his consistent effort on the ice.

While he has slowed down in terms of production—he only had 24 points last season—he is still a concern for opponents, and he has the ability to draw penalties.

Langenbrunner was on the ice for 4.4 penalties called on Blues’ opponents for each 60 minutes played.

Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers

Hall was one of the most ballyhooed No. 1 draft picks when he was taken first overall by the Oilers in 2010. As a result, all eyes are on him whenever he takes the ice.

Hall plays with excitement and fervor. He’s one of the players that will carry both his up-and-coming team in particular and the league in general, and he gets protection from the league.

Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers

The Rangers captain plays with an indomitable attitude. Once Callahan gets into the offensive zone, he will go hard to the net and he will not stop.

As a result, he draws penalties, and referees will protect him to keep him from getting hurt.

Callahan was on the ice for 3.9 penalties called on Rangers’ opponents for each 60 minutes played.