ROSEMONT, Ill. — Rocky Thompson first noticed it during the Vegas Rookie Faceoff in September, but didn’t say anything at the time. Maybe the kid needs to learn the hard way, he thought.
“He was very vocal to the referees,” Thompson said, “and if you’re vocal to the ref as a 19-year-old, it’s funny how they’ll teach you a lesson.”
Erik Brannstrom continued his penchant for chirping at officials when he arrived with the Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Finally, Thompson put a stop to it during a game in October.
“I went over, I said, ‘You’re never going to talk to a referee again the entire season,’” recalled Thompson, the coach of the Chicago Wolves.