TV Producer Suspended For Role In Replay Gaffe

As we wrote in this space yesterday, the NHL had begun a investigation into the practices of FSN Pittsburgh, stemming from an incident that occurred during last week’s Penguins game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The network was suspected of not sending a replay to NHL officials in Toronto that would have proved a goal scored by Simon Gagne of the Flyers.

↵Today, FSN Pittsburgh suspended a producer of their Penguins telecasts, Lowell MacDonald Jr. His father, Lowell MacDonald, played for the Penguins from 1970 to 1978. The network issued the obvious politically correct statement.

↵↵There is nothing more important than the integrity of the game. During last Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a definitive replay of a Flyers goal was not aired prior to the conclusion of the official review and, as a result, a Flyers goal was not awarded. Fortunately, this did not change the outcome of the game. Nonetheless, FSN Pittsburgh’s failure to provide video to the league officials in a timely fashion was wholly unacceptable. FSN Pittsburgh has addressed this matter and has taken steps to ensure that such a failure does not occur again.

↵↵Gagne, the goal scorer, is on record saying that FSN Pittsburgh should be “fined heavily.”

↵Flyers fans at Broad Street Hockey would love to see sanctions brought upon the network or their rival team, but generally do not care about the issue because it didn’t effect the outcome of the game. In fact, it afforded the opportunity for Gagne to score his 500th career point at home the following Saturday.

↵Penguins fans at Pensburgh are worried about the incident leading to more pro-Penguins conspiracy theories, which have run rampant around the NHL since they were awarded the first pick in the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes in 2005.