It seems the history between Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows and NHL referee Stéphane Auger runs deeper than previously known.
The Canucks sent the league video last week after Burrows accused Auger of settling a score by calling him for two controversial penalties in the third period of a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 11. The tape includes footage from a Nov. 28 game against the Edmonton Oilers.
In the second period, Burrows is called for slashing and roughing penalties by the same referee tandem - Auger and Dennis LaRue - that presided over the Vancouver-Nashville game last week.
The Canucks argued that the slashing penalty on Burrows was non-existent and contend that Burrows was wrongly given a roughing penalty during a post-whistle scrum with Edmonton forward Andrew Cogliano, who was the aggressor. Cogliano threw punches but was not penalized.
The tape sent by the Canucks to the league also includes footage from the security cameras at GM Place on Jan. 11, which shows Auger and Burrows skating together for 31 seconds during the warm-up period.
Previously, a Dec. 8 game against Nashville, and an incident in Montreal last year, were the only documented run-ins between Burrows and Auger. Auger ejected Burrows from the game in Montreal for high sticking. Burrows cited the Dec. 8 contest, when he tricked Auger into calling a five-minute penalty and game misconduct against Jerred Smithson of the Predators, as the reason why Auger pursued revenge on Jan. 11.