Canadiens’ Caufield questions late slashing call: ‘Maybe they should have to answer’

BROSSARD — Cole Caufield, much like Montreal Canadiens fans, would have preferred a different ending to Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

Caufield was penalized for slashing with 56 seconds remaining in the third period. Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov then scored the game-winning goal on the power play just 21 seconds into overtime, giving the Wild a 2-1 win.

On the replays, Wild defenceman Quinn Hughes’s stick appears to break easily, possibly while trying to lift Caufield’s stick, rather than as the result of a clear slash by the Canadiens forward.

Veteran referee Kelly Sutherland did not make the call, as he appeared to have his back to the play in the opposite corner of the Wild’s zone. Instead, young official Justin Kea raised his arm from further away in the neutral zone.

A little more than 12 hours later, Caufield did not hold back following the Canadiens’ practice on Wednesday afternoon.

“I obviously had some time to cool down after that, and I think it was a tough way to end a really good hockey game,” Caufield said. “I think those calls gotta be 100 per cent sure, especially with the time and that, but I think when a ref’s on the other side of the ice calling it with a bench helping him out and a player putting his hands in the air, it’s definitely… I mean it is a fast game, stuff happens fast but I think it wasn’t the best idea to kind of end a game that way.”

While acknowledging that referees have a very difficult job, Caufield also suggested that perhaps they should answer for questionable calls.

“They take their job really seriously and we respect them for what they do. It’s not an easy job,” Caufield said. “If they felt like that was the right call, I think at some point maybe they should have to answer questions themselves and kind of explain what they thought or what they saw versus them just putting their hand in the air.”

Caufield also said Sutherland and Kea did not appear to be on the same page at other points in the game. Earlier in the third period, for example, Sutherland seemed to be explaining that Josh Anderson had not hooked forward Maxim Shabanov, while Kea had his arm raised for a penalty.

NHL general managers discussed officiating during meetings Tuesday in Toronto. The NHL appears to be looking at whether tools such as rapid replay assist technology can help referees make the right calls more consistently.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 11, 2026.

Alexis Bélanger-Champagne, The Canadian Press