NHL fines Canucks’ Burrows for comments

TORONTO (AP) — Vancouver Canucks left winger Alex Burrows was fined $2,500 by the NHL on Wednesday, two days after accusing referee Stephane Auger of targeting him in a loss to the Nashville Predators.

During the third period of Vancouver’s 3-2 loss to Nashville on Monday night, Auger assessed Burrows minor penalties for diving, interference and unsportsmanlike conduct.

After the game, Burrows told the media: “It was personal. It started in warmup before the anthem. The ref [Auger] came over to me and said I made him look bad in Nashville on the [Jerred] Smithson hit [during a game Dec. 8]. He said he was going to get me back tonight and he did his job in the third ...”

Burrows said his teammates “are battling hard for 60 minutes to win a hockey game because every two points are so huge, so important, and because of a guy’s ego it just blows everything out of proportion and they’re making bad calls and the fans are paying for it and we’re paying for it. I think he [Auger] should sit out the rest of the year making calls like that.”

The NHL said Burrow’s comments were detrimental to the league and the game.