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Craig Berube frustrated by the NHL's handling of the hit from behind on Scott Laughton


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Ryan Smitheram
January 7, 2026  (4:05 PM)
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Craig Berube called out officials after they missed an obvious call on a hit on Leafs' forward Scott Laughton
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski Imagn Images

Leafs forward Scott Laughton escaped injury after being hit from behind by Eetu Luostarinen, and the missed call had Craig Berube calling out officials post-game.

Up 3-0 with less than five minutes to go in the second period of last night's game between the Leafs and the Panthers, Scott Laughton was sent flying into the boards from behind by forward Eetu Luostarinen, directly in front of an official.
The hit left Laughton with a cut on his nose and led to him sharing a few choice words with the Panthers' bench at the end of the middle frame.

Berube Calls Out Officials For Missed Call

Leafs head coach Craig Berube was full of praise with his team's efforts in what many analysts and fans called their best and most complete game of the season. However, Berube was rather sour about the missed call on Laughton, calling out officials when asked about the hit.
"Well, it is a penalty. That is a penalty all day long. They call that 95% of the time, but they didn't call it that time. That's whatever. I am not going to complain about it."
Laughton also commented on the hit, and criticized the officials as well during his post-game meeting with the media.
"It's a clear hit from behind. So, not sure what they saw there."

With no penalty on the play, no supplemental discipline is expected for Luostarinen, making the whole situation even more frustrating. As it turns out, having an assistant GM (Panthers AGM Gregory Campbell) related to an NHL executive (Colin Campbell) is an advantage for the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions.
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Craig Berube frustrated by the NHL's handling of the hit from behind on Scott Laughton

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