The NHL officiating problem that no one is talking about.

One of the most frequent and most controversial topics of discussion in any of the major sports around the globe is the topic of officiating. It seems each and every season that fans find themselves with legitimate complaints about officiating that leave them feeling frustrated, and unfortunately the National Hockey League is no exception.

It is perhaps for that reason that I find it so bizarre that almost no one is talking about a major shift in officiating that took place during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Recently, veteran NHL reporter Jason Gregor highlighted just how drastic the shift had been, when he discussed a truly shocking statistic when it comes to the league's officiating.

"The massive decrease, significant reduction in penalties, the lowest ever in NHL history this past season," said Gregor on the DFO rundown podcast.

Gregor used a nice round number to point out just how drastic the discrepancy in officiating has been from one season to the next.

"They're not getting the best officials," said Gregor. "The lack of penalties illustrate it to me. You cannot tell me that in 2 years the NHL players are 1000, 1000, fewer infractions more disciplined. I don't buy it, the game is faster than ever."

Why you might ask is the best hockey league on the planet not getting the best officials available? Well according to Gregor the NHL has become too focused on hiring former players for the role and passing over more experienced referees in the process.

"I had a current NHL ref and others reach out to me and say 'Right now the NHL has been so focused on former players that they are not necessarily getting the best officials,'" added Gregor.

Gregor is sounding the alarm in the hopes that the problem does not get worse before it gets better, but unfortunately I must admit that I have heard very few, if any, fans or pundits discussing this very nuanced problem with any kind of seriousness.

"I think it is something that has to be talked about and looked at," said Gregor.

The NHL has however not had a very good history of holding their officials accountable, so whether or not the NHL will take this issue seriously remains to be seen.