Czech hockey coach Radim Rulik condemns referees after Canada loss

Czechia Olympic men’s hockey coach Radim Rulik condemned referees for their officiating of Wednesday’s Olympic men’s quarterfinals between his team and Canada.

Rulik spoke out after his team’s 4-3 overtime loss, saying the refs were “afraid to call” any penalties against Canada. 

“I feel like everyone is afraid to call anything against Canada,” Rulik told reporters, according to a translation of his postgame interview.

“The referees really worry me. What they’re allowing against us is unacceptable,” Rulik added. “After every game, we send them two or three clips where they confirm that the opponent should have been penalized. I don’t understand it. I just don’t get it.”

During the third period when Czechia’s Martin Nečas was about to go on a breakaway, Canada’s Devon Toews appeared to hook him in the neutral zone, but no penalty was called. 

“I watch two NHL games on replay every single day,”  Rulik continued. “The play Necas made today — when his stick was touched on the breakaway — is always a penalty in the NHL. But suddenly, not here. I’m really sorry about it. The guys deserved a top-level performance from the referees. 

“They always admit afterward that we were right, but nothing ever changes. We should have had power plays against Canada. But they were afraid [David Pastrnak] or Necas would score another power-play goal. And if [Radko] Gudas was penalized, then Doughty should have been too for the hit on Pasta.”

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Rulik previously criticized referees for their officiating of his team’s win over Denmark earlier this week.

“We were basically playing against six players,” he said. “I don’t want to make excuses, and no one has to agree with me, but the video backs me up. In this respect, it’s not a fair tournament. It was happening to us even against Denmark. The mix of NHL and European referees hasn’t worked — everyone calls the game differently.”

Canada was embroiled in an Olympic scandal in the Milan Cortina Olympics when its men’s and women’s curling teams were accused of cheating in events last week.

When Canada beat Sweden 8-6 on Feb. 13, Canadian third Marc Kennedy and Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson got into it after Eriksson accused Kennedy of an illegal procedure called double-touching stones after releasing them at the hog line.

Kennedy shouted, “I haven’t done it once. You can f— off,” at Eriksson.

Kennedy and a team executive later leveled allegations against the Swedes of improperly filming his delivery. 

“This was planned, right from the word go yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act,” Kennedy said.

Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen told reporters he thinks video was shot outside of the strict rules for Olympic filming.

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“I was surprised that there was a live video on the hog line outside of OBS rules,” Thiessen said. “That seems odd to me.”

Meanwhile on the women’s side, Canadian curler Rachel Homan had her stone removed after an official ruled that she had touched it again after releasing the handle. Homan protested, but, according to World Curling’s rules, there are no official replays, and the official’s final call stands. 

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