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Vancouver player accuses NHL referee of trying to get back at him

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Serious allegations were raised following a hockey game Monday night when Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows accused an NHL referee of making threats to him prior to the game.

Burrows claims referee Stephane Auger said he would get back at him prior to the Canucks’ game against the Nashville Predators. Burrows said Auger was upset because the referee believed he had embellished a hit he received from Nashville’s Jerred Smithson on Friday. Auger gave Smithson a 10-minute game-misconduct penalty for the hit.

Burrows was called for 16 minutes in penalties in the third period during the Canucks’ 3-2 loss to the Predators on Monday. After the game, Burrows, who scored both of Vancouver’s goals, told reporters that he took issue with the minor penalties he received for diving and interference. He also received a game-misconduct penalty with less than four seconds left in the game (watch two of Burrows’ penalties here).

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‘After the second penalty I skated by him and he said, ‘If you say a word I am going to kick you out,’ so I didn’t say a word because I still thought we could come back and win the game,’ Burrows told the Associated Press. ‘But with three seconds left and the faceoff outside the zone I thought I could tell him what I thought about him.’

Here’s what Burrows had to say to reporters after the game:

The NHL has not commented on the matter. Burrows could face disciplinary action from the league for criticizing a referee.

-- Austin Knoblauch

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