Controversy erupts right before puck drop in Canada-Finland semifinal

The Canada-Finland Olympic semifinal hadn’t even begun before controversy found its way into the spotlight. The reason? The officiating crew.

The referees assigned to the high-stakes semifinal include Canadians, a detail that quickly sparked chatter among fans and observers. In a game where every whistle (or non-whistle) can shift momentum, the optics alone are less than ideal.

International tournaments are built on neutrality and competitive balance, which is why officiating assignments are typically scrutinized closely. Even if the officials call a flawless game, perception matters… and perception is already doing some heavy lifting here.

There’s also the other side of the argument. In situations like this, a referee may feel added pressure to demonstrate objectivity. That could mean calling the game tighter against Canada, or swallowing the whistle entirely to avoid the appearance of bias. Either way, it creates an unnecessary layer of controversy in what is already a tense semifinal.

To be clear, there’s no suggestion of impropriety. But in a winner-take-all Olympic setting, the assignment itself feels avoidable.

However, the first penalty of the game came to Canada with a too-many penalty.

Then, Sam Bennett was sent to the box after he bulldozed his own Florida teammate, Niko Mikkola, right into Jusse Saros to take a dimwitted goalie interference penalty. The Finns scored on the ensuing power-play.

Of course, fans in both Canada and Finland will surely handle this development with total calm and rational discourse.

Right?