Hockey fan hilariously tries to bribe NHL referee with cash
It’s common for hockey fans to accuse the referees of being bribed when things aren’t going their way, but we rarely get to see an attempted bribe mid-game.
That is exactly what we got a glimpse of during last night’s game between the New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks. After a second-period goal from New York’s Andre Lee’s goal was put to review to see if it fully crossed the goal line.
As the refs convened at the penalty boxes to take a look at the video, a Sharks fan took out $100 in cold, hard cash and tried to hand it to the refs through a gap between the glass. The officials paid no mind to the fan as they tried to determine if it was a goal or not.
The fan could be seen holding the cash with one hand while making a no-goal movement with his other.
This Sharks fan was really trying to bribe the refs ššµ pic.twitter.com/8ETeBBG2e2
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 9, 2025
Of course, the referees did not take the bribe as doing so would be a major violation of the rules. However, that fan did wind up getting the outcome he was trying to pay for as the goal was called back. It didn’t change San Jose’s fortunes, however, as the Islanders cruised to a 4-s victory.
Hockey does tend to take itself a tad bit too seriously at times, so it was nice to see one fan trying to lighten the mood a little bit. A harmless bit that just wound up being caught on camera for everyone to see.
It’s fitting that this happened in San Jose as the Sharks have been one of the most entertaining teams in the NHL this season, despite a poor record. Just last week, sniper Tyler Toffoli lost a bet with youngsters Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, leading him to sleepover in their hotel room.
You have to think that hockey fans of all 32 NHL teams had the thought of throwing a bit of cash for their side to catch a break on review, you can’t blame this one for taking advantage of his opportunity.
Maybe just try to be a little more subtle next time.