Canada will play for a medal inmen’s hockey at the Olympics after it defeated Czechia with help from the officials during the quarterfinals. Devon Toews got away with a blatant hooking violation during the closing moments of regulation.
Czech head coach Radim Rulik was not happy with the referees.
Referees at the Olympics are from all over the world. There is a severe lack of consistency in regard to what is or is not a penalty.
Devon Toews should’ve been called for hooking.
Czechia took a lead with 7:42 remaining in the third period. Canada tied it up just four minutes later.
The specific sequence in question took place with 70 seconds left in the game.
The puck took a fortunate bounce out to Martin Necas. One of the fastest players in the world had a breakaway during the most crucial moment of the tournament thus far. He was gone.
However, Toews was just a few feet behind Necas as he gathered the puck in front of the center line. The former reached out his stick to impede the latter. Toews’ stick made contact with Necas’ stick and wrapped around his midsection. It was a textbook hooking penalty that did not get called.
Same way they missed this. Refs suck. Nothing new. Toews gets his stick in the midsection of a faster player, pulls back to impeded progress and ends up staying with him the entire time. Necas was GONE. pic.twitter.com/X5QK6F8rVz
— Matt Nielsen (@MattNielsen89) February 18, 2026
Necas is faster than Toews. Toews was able to stay with him. Hm….
If you watch the sequence in slow motion, you can see that Necas had to extend his leg long when the initial pull occurs. Every other stride is short. The hook prevented the faster athlete from pulling away on the breakaway.
Necas was forced to go to to the five-hole with his backhand because of the missed penalty. Jordan Binnington made the save with relative ease.
Czechia wants equal treatment for Canada in hockey at the Olympics.
Czechia head coach Radim Rulik led his team to the quarterfinals at the Olympics. He was not happy with the officials throughout the entire tournament.
“The referees really worry me. What they’re allowing against us is unacceptable. After ever game, we send them two or three clips where they confirm that the opponent should’ve been penalized. I don’t understand it. I just don’t get it.”
Rulik specifically took aim at Team Canada.
“I feel like everyone is afraid to call anything against Canada. We were basically playing against six players. I don’t want to make excuses and no one has to agree with me, but the video backs me up. In this respect, it’s not a fair tournament.”
The Olympics use officials who are employed by different leagues. Rulik wants consistency.
“It was happening to us even against Denmark. The mix of NHL and European referees hasn’t worked — everyone calls the game differently.”
He also addressed the crucial hooking penalty on Devon Toews that stopped Martin Necas.
“I watch two NHL games on replay every single day. The play Necas made today — when his stick was touched on the breakaway — is always a penalty in the NHL. But suddenly, not here.”
Rulik does not think the referees are equal in their treatment.
“I’m really sorry about it. The guys deserved a top-level performance from the referees. They always admit afterward that we were right, but nothing ever changes. We should have had power plays against Canada. But they were afraid Pasta or Necas would score another power-play goal. And if Gudas was penalized, then Doughty should have been too for the hit on Pasta.”
Everybody was thinking it. Radim Rulik was the only one willing to say it.