Canucks announcer John Shorthouse lambasts referees for changing penalty call from Ian Cole to Tyler Myers: "Losing brain cells"

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Feb 19, 2024 16:31 GMT

In a recent Canucks game, the team's announcer, John Shorthouse, expressed his frustration with the referees after a perplexing penalty call reversal involving defensemen Ian Cole and Tyler Myers.

Shorthouse, known for his candid commentary, was left surprised by the change of decision. He said,

"Listen, I'm losing brain cells by the moment, but I don't think I've ever seen a situation where they assess a five-minute major to somebody, go to review it, and then decide to call a completely different penalty against a different player."

The incident occurred when Ian Cole was initially penalized with a five-minute major for a hit from behind on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth. However, after an extended video review, the referees altered their decision, attributing the penalty to Cole's defensive partner, Tyler Myers. The revised call pointed to Myers' elbowing incident with Sean Kuraly as the reason for the five-minute major.

This unexpected decision left both players and fans bewildered, especially given the crucial moment in the game, tied in the third period.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet delved into the matter, revealing that he reached out to the league for an explanation. The response he received was it was intended to "just get the call right. "

Despite the confusion, the Vancouver Canucks successfully killed the five-minute major penalty, earning a standing ovation from their appreciative fans. The team then went on to secure a thrilling 5-4 victory in overtime.

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Canucks's 5-4 overtime victory over the Blue Jackets

In a remarkable comeback, the Vancouver Canucks secured a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime. Elias Pettersson secured the win with his second goal four minutes into the extra period.

Brock Boeser played a pivotal role, notching three goals and an assist, reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in his eight-year career. J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes contributed with three assists each.

Trailing 4-1 after two periods, the Canucks staged a comeback in the third, scoring three power-play goals. Pettersson, Boeser (twice) and a stellar penalty kill highlighted the team's resilience.

Blue Jackets' Alexandre Texier, Jake Bean, Kirill Marchenko and Sean Kuraly contributed goals, but little mistakes proved costly. Vancouver, now 32-11-5, leads the Pacific Division with 71 points, heading into the All-Star break on a high note. Boeser, reflecting on his achievement, stated,

"Finally, it’s been a long time but I’m just trying to play the right way every night. So, that’s just the cherry on top."