Report: Controversial NHL referee Tim Peel announces retirement plans

Controversial NHL official Tim Peel will likely miss the rest of the 2019-20 season after suffering an ankle injury and… well there aren’t many hockey fans losing sleep over it.

Peel has been at the center of so many blown calls over the years that fans have literally created petitions to have him removed from his job with the NHL. Well… good news, hockey fans. Tim Peel has announced his retirement… kind of.

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Peel says to St. Louis Blues reporter Jeremy Rutherford that he plans to retire after the 2020-21 season.

Check it out:

Peel will miss three to four months, and maybe the rest 2019-20 season, but because he had already agreed to work the 2020-21 season before retiring, this isn’t expected to be the end of his career.

“It’s frustrating because it’s the first time that I’ve ever been out with an injury,” Peel said. “I broke a few ribs probably six or seven years ago in L.A. Alec Martinez took a slap shot and broke a couple ribs, but I was able to work through that. I’ve had meniscus surgeries and things like that, but I’ve always had them in the summertime. So it’s the first time that I’ve ever been home during the season.”

Well hot damn! 

I hate to wish a man any ill will, but I’m seriously crossing my fingers that Peel takes the rest of this season off to rest and heal himself. When he arrives ready to go for the 2020-21 campaign, hopefully he can put together one final season of officiating before finally hanging up the skates for good.