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Sports

Even the Penalty Box Officials Hate Nazem Kadri

Kadri was barked at and received the death stare after accidentally nailing a penalty box official in the face with his stick.

From delivering one questionable hit after another to sliding deep under the skin of his opponents on a nightly basis, it's very likely that Nazem Kadri doesn't have a single friend outside of his teammates.

When you play the gritty role that No. 43 does, though, there is no better compliment than being universally despised.

It's not just opposing players who loathe the guy, either, as even the penalty box officials—those brave gatekeepers of the sin bin—got into the holiday spirit of hating Kadri during the Leafs-Panthers tilt Wednesday night.

Kadri was sent to the box after taking a real boneheaded penalty with less than 30 seconds left in regulation and the game knotted at 1-1. Upon entering the holy box, Kadri accidentally (probably) clipped the box official in the head with the butt-end of his stick. This bad-ass box dude did not consider taking Kadri's shit for even a second, promptly getting in the face of the Leafs centre and reaming him out while visibly fuming with disdain.

Overall, the officials really earned their danger pay in Florida on Wednesday, as this referee took an errant twig right off the melon earlier in the game.