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Don Cherry Explodes on Refs After Major Controversy Erupts between Oilers and Panthers in Finals

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 10:29 AM ET

The legend himself, Don Cherry, was seeing red and put all referees on blast following what he described as one of the worst officiated games he has ever witnessed.

A fresh episode of Don Cherry's 'Grapevine Podcast' has been released, and it's a must-hear for hockey aficionados.

Don Cherry and son Tim explore the crease crashers and goalie agitators' history, spanning 1970s enforcers Gary Dornhoefer and Wayne Cashman to the NHL's most infamous pest today, Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

Cherry, 91 and with a hockey lifetime as a player, coach, and broadcaster, wasn't afraid to speak his mind. He called Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers the worst-called game he has ever seen.

'That was the worst refereed game I think I ever saw,' Cherry said, 'It was that one. It was unbelievable.'

Referees Chris Rooney and Jean Hebert came in for criticism for two calls that led directly to Panther goals.

Bennett purposely kicked Ekholm's stick away from him and no penalty was called

The first was a no-call on an interference penalty: Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm had his stick knocked out of his hands while stopping a shot, and Bennett kicked it out on the way to scoring on a pass.

Then, in double overtime, Viktor Arvidsson's breakaway was abbreviated by a sixth Florida skater, a veritable too-many-men penalty that wasn't called.

'There should have been a power play,' Don Cherry said.

The Cherrys did credit the officials with one solid call: Bennett's interference penalty for crashing into Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. The Florida crowd referred to it as a flop, but Don debunked it as a classic crease play by Bennett.

'Bennett did fall on him,' Cherry said.

The podcast is topped off with an insert of Canadiens legend Ken Dryden explaining how players like Dornhoefer used to harass goalies, showing that while names change, crease chaos doesn't.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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