The NHL season never stops delivering complete entertainment, emotions and all the unpredictability you would want in your favorite sport. And while the New York Islanders just secured a good 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks in SAP Center, that was not the moment that sparked the excitement. Nope, it wasn’t a highlight-reel goal or a jaw-dropping save—it was something way funnier.

In a hilarious scene that could have been borrowed from a comedy show, some of the NHL fans thought they could outsmart the game by bribing the referees during the Islanders/Sharks match. Yep, you read that right! Because, hey, when in doubt, why not try a little off-ice persuasion?

Gino Hard hopped on X mid-game to drop a must-see clip, and let’s just say—this one’s got ‘hockey fan chaos’ written all over it. With the Islanders leading 2-1, the referees took a pause in the second period to review if the Anders Lee’s shot had entered the Sharks’ net. And while the on-ice call of ‘no goal’ was upheld, that was hardly the highlight of the review.

Out of nowhere, a bold Sharks fan swooped in from the side, casually flashing some cash—yep, straight-up offering it to the refs, as if that would magically sway their decision. And, well, the refs? They didn’t even blink. Ignored it completely. But the internet? They ate it up. Gino couldn’t help but drop the perfect caption, “This Sharks fan was really trying to bribe the refs.” Hockey fans? Built for entertainment.

And on the ice? Well, the New York Islanders came to SAP Center and played a spectacle, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau leading the charge with a goal and two assists, and Ilya Sorokin was a human wall with 38 saves! And with Anthony Duclair, Anders Lee, and Adam Boqvist scoring more, the Isles secured a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks in the NHL. It is the fourth victory in the last five games and now the team is only one point behind Columbus Blue Jackets in the wild-card race.

On the other side, Nikolai Kovalenko and Will Smith scored for the Sharks, with Macklin Celebrini making two nice passes to maintain his three-game point streak. But coming back to the moment with the fan, this was not the first time that something like this has happened in the NHL world!

Another NHL game saw some mischief!

Throwback to 2023, when fans of the NHL were at their best during the Senators-Penguins match! A video that was shot during that night went viral as two fans, one supporting the Penguins and the other the Senators, staged the most epic bribe of all time. But the real stars? Two friends were wearing referee costumes fitted so perfectly you’d think they were about to start calling penalties for real! With wallets flashing and fake cash flowing, the hilarious attempt at “fixing” the game had the entire arena howling.

The clip kicked off with the Penguins fan taking center stage, standing up and locking eyes with the referee imposters in the crowd. In the most dramatic move ever, he whipped out his wallet and passed some cash over, giving off serious “let’s make a deal” energy. But instead of a secret handshake or a nod of approval, the fake ref threw up a wash-out signal like he was actually waving off a goal! People went wild–cheers, laughter and complete mayhem erupted all around as the stunt looked like something from a hockey sitcom.

It just got even more entertaining when the Senators fan was not willing to be outdone. Putting his hand in his pockets, he took out his own pile of money and put it on top of the pile making the legendary moment even more legendary. Suddenly, both fans were in on the joke, turning their team rivalry into a full-blown comedy act. It was the ultimate fake ref bidding war, bringing a whole new meaning to “buying a win.” The real victory was the absolute gold that came out of this unforgettable, laugh-out-loud moment in NHL fan history!