I think that a big part of the long-term success of the Montreal Canadiens would be to hold the league accountable for its refereeing. If I’m Mr. Gauthier, I have a couple of AV guys going over each game’s footage and catching all the penalties which weren’t called, on both sides. In my mind’s eye, every time an infraction is called a 2 or 5 minute is added to the game’s tally, pinball machine style, complete with sound effects. The video guys also pour over other games and highlight inconsistencies.
These video documents are provided to the league with frequent phone calls and visits to the offices in New York to drive home the message. The league won’t cave, but you can pressure it and deviate it slowly from its present course, kind of like a tugboat working on a huge freighter. At least it counteracts the barrage of misinformation and cretinism from the Philadelphia-Boston-Toronto Axis of Evil.
Working behind the scenes is key, but the threat of staged leaks us always hanging, as is the nuclear option of releasing these videos to the public openly.
Best part of our plan is that this lobbying effort is pushing the game in the right direction. Second-best part is that the Canadiens can afford this, have the resources and footage available for every game with multiple angles, and it doesn’t count against the cap, so you’re essentially improving your team for free.
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