Jack Edwards Implies Officials Favor Maple Leafs

Longtime NESN and Boston Bruins TV play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards caused a stir on social media again during the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

With NESN’s rights to broadcast Boston Bruins games this season expiring after the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, maybe the controversial Edwards wants to get in as much chirping as he can right now?

Well, on Thursday night the chirp targets were referees Francis Charron and Tom Chmielewski. There’s a conspiracy belief amongst NHL fans and clearly, based on Edwards’ comments Thursday, in the media too, that the NHL favors the Toronto Maple Leafs and wants them to win more than other NHL teams. After all, Toronto is the self-proclaimed ‘Mecca of Hockey’ and some believe the league will do whatever it can to help the storied Original 6 franchise snap their 56-year Stanley Cup drought.

As Boston Bruins winger A.J. Greer served a two-minute minor and ten-minute misconduct for instigating, along with a five-minute major for fighting Maple Leafs forward Sam Lafferty 14:33 into the first period, NESN color man Andy Brickley respectfully disagreed with Greer getting the instigator.

“I thought Greer went about it the right way,” Brickley opined. “Yeah he’s the first one there and he wants to respond to the hit, but I thought he invited the fight from Lafferty and [Lafferty] accepted. To me that’s not an instigator.”

Edwards then implied that the call was a result of favoritism for the Maple Leafs.

“Well, it is Toronto,” Edwards quipped with a sarcastic chuckle followed by a laugh from Brickley.

Note: This puck scribe wholeheartedly agrees with Brickley’s assessment but not Edwards implication of the referees handing Toronto a powerplay because they favor them. 

"….well it is Toronto"

Jack Edwards is a menace pic.twitter.com/FXhta5RkRk

— Ah yes, the Leafs (@LeafsAllDayy) April 6, 2023

The frequently embattled Boston Bruins play-by-play man and Bruins fan favorite wasn’t done though. Early in the second period Edwards cracked:

“One shot on goal for the ref. As if they aren’t helping Toronto enough.”

That’s when Brickley, as he often does, did his best to reel in the passionate Edwards.

“Oh easy now,” the former Boston Bruins winger said.

Maple Leafs fans and Jack Edwards haters around the NHL were up in arms about his comments but let’s be honest, it will only help spice up the rivalry. It’s just a shame that if the Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs meet in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Edwards and Brickley won’t be on the call for the Black and Gold.