"Coward!" Bruins announcer rips referee in loss to Leafs
Tuesday’s Game 5 tilt between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins featured its fair share of fiery moments, some of which involved the officials.
But before Bruins captain Brad Marchand was tackled by a linesman while taking a run at Leafs forward Pontus Holmberg in the third period, referee Steve Kozari was the one who caught some heat ahead of the second intermission.
Longtime Bruins play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards was audibly upset at the referee who skated away from defenceman Charlie McAvoy rather than providing the Boston player with an explanation on a late-period call.
“McAvoy is seeking explanation from Steve Kozari,” Edwards said on the NESN broadcast. “And Kozari is the first official to exit the ice… Coward!”
Jack Edwards just straight up called referee Steve Kozari a coward on live tv š«£ pic.twitter.com/gInBfzY201
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 1, 2024
Known for his strong bias towards the Bruins, Edwards need not worry about any disciplinary action for his comments, recently announcing his retirement from broadcasting.
“In collaboration with Bruins and NESN leadership, I recently decided that the time has come for me to finish my shift as the voice of the Boston Bruins,” the 67-year-old wrote in a statement ahead of the playoffs. “I am no longer able to attain the standards I set for myself, to honour the fans, the players, the Bruins organization and NESN with the best they all deserve.ā
Edwards, who began calling Bruins games in 2005, cited an unknown health diagnosis as a reason for being slow on calls in recent years, sometimes seeming to slur words.
He will continue calling games on NESN broadcasts until the Bruins’ ongoing post-season run concludes.
Boston needs just one more win to punch their ticket to the second round. Meanwhile, the Leafs, now down 3-2 after claiming an overtime victory in Game 5, will try to push the ongoing series to a sudden-death game when they suit up for Game 6 in Toronto on Thursday.
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