NHL referee banned from sport after microphone catches him saying he wanted to give team a penalty

Tim Peel's career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. The league on Wednesday announced Peel "no longer will be working NHL games now or in the future." The 54-year-old Peel had already made plans to retire next month.

"Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game," NHL vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement. "Tim Peel's conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand from our officials and that of our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve." The NHL determined it was Peel's voice that was heard on the TV broadcast of the Predators home game against the Detroit Red Wings after Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson was issued a minor tripping penalty five minutes into the second period.