NHL officals

[Squeaks4]

First let me say that I am not one to blame a ref or ump or whatever they wanna be called for a lose of a game because I honestly feel a team in the end has control to either make up for a bad call, or simply not put themselves in the position to have the game rest on one call. However as I have watched the NHL this year I am honestly taken aback at the officiating this year. I primarily watch the Coyotes so I can not say this is going on in the rest of the league, but it seems that ever game I watch has at least a couple absolutely terrible call. I understand mistakes will be made and everything, but these aren't mistakes. I am also not saying or complaining about calls against one team. I will be the first to admit that the Coyotes and other teams I like have been on the good end of a terrible call more then a couple times. I remember about a month ago watching a Coyotes game were there were literally about 1 minute of an entire period in which there was not a power play going on. And most of the time it was 3-5, 3-4 and so on. I have also noticed that both the Coyotes tv announcers have been getting very heated in their critisism of the officiating on both sides. I have been thinking about asking you all if you have noticed an increase of bad or phantom calls this year and after tonights game watching a tripping call being called against Cujo because a Bruin literally ran into his crease and got his skate stuck Cujo's stick and yanked it out of his hands and fell down, I realized it was time. And by the way, the 'Yotes won tonights game so there are no sour grapes here. I am not sure if I will get much response but I am just wondering if anyone has noticed any of this. I just wish the days of a hard hit was just that, a hard hit, and not a interference call were back...Long live hockey

[FightinIrish11]

man am i glad someone said spoke up about this! i completely know where your coming from on this. i'm still watching the blues, lets just clerify that one right now. but anyway, during the rangers-blues game last nite, blues are down 4-3 and barret jackman is by the rangers bench and someone is grabbing his damn stick! he's tuggin and trying to pull it back, but he wont let go. so jackman gets his stick back and while he probably shouldn't have done this, he taps (hardly a slash) the guy on his shoulder and guess who gets the call? jackman, 2 minutes for slashing. by some miracle of god, the blues forced overtime with 7 seconds left to tie it, so they over came that call. but i gotta tell ya, that was bull plop in my book. there was a linesman looking at the whole thing unfold too. it was blatently obvious his stick was being held, so why not make that call? i'm curious....thats gotta be unsportsmanlike conduct or a bench minor, or hell, i dunno...holding the stick? that call has got to be made when someone from the bench is obstructing a player on the ice. maybe not the same as your situation with they yotes, squeaks, but i hear ya, the refs are slackin thus far.

[youcan'tseeme]

Have you noticed the increase of officials getting hit by the puck or players also how much there in the way?

[Camden Crazy]

It's been happening to the Flyers a lot also...

[-kj]

Keep in mind, the officials are under a mandate from the league to call much tighter games than in the past. That means that, in theory, the little hooks and holds that used to go uncalled are now supposed to be penalized. It's still going to take time for everyone--players, officials, and fans alike--to adjust to "the new NHL" style of game.

[jkrdevil]

The league has told the officials that anyone who doesn't sctrictly enforce the new obstruction guidelines will be fired. Therefor the Refs are calling anything close to keep their jobs. Can't say I blame them for wanting to keep their jobs.

[HedleyLamarr]

Keep in mind, the officials are under a mandate from the league to call much tighter games than in the past. That means that, in theory, the little hooks and holds that used to go uncalled are now supposed to be penalized. It's still going to take time for everyone--players, officials, and fans alike--to adjust to "the new NHL" style of game.

We're just about halfway into the season. It's now squarely on the players to adjust to these penalties. The league isn't going to fall back into it's trapping, bogged-down style of play, so these players will have to change their game.

[Phil]

Yeah totally. I remember this one time, the ref made a call and I was like "No way" except that was the CFL but still there's bad refs everywhere and nobody likes a bad ref especially jeremy roenick lol and stuff. Also nobody likes bad punctuation and people stop reading what you're saying when you put it all in one long run-on paragraph like this, people see it and are like "whoa, that's a lot of words, I am way too lazy to read that" and then you have wasted all this energy writing it and nobody is reading it. See, because at some point you could say something really ridiculous like poopy happyrock and no one would pick up on it because you have failed to present your information in a way people want to read it and that sucks because then you both lose and people generally do not like losing, even people who do not care about competition so much because they do not like sports or got picked last in third grade or something crazy like that. So in short, eat your vegetables and refs in the NHL know what they're doing better than you.

People will read this line, though, because it's not in the middle of that run on paragraph.

[jkrdevil]

Yeah totally. I remember this one time, the ref made a call and I was like "No way" except that was the CFL but still there's bad refs everywhere and nobody likes a bad ref especially jeremy roenick lol and stuff. Also nobody likes bad punctuation and people stop reading what you're saying when you put it all in one long run-on paragraph like this, people see it and are like "whoa, that's a lot of words, I am way too lazy to read that" and then you have wasted all this energy writing it and nobody is reading it. See, because at some point you could say something really ridiculous like poopy happyrock and no one would pick up on it because you have failed to present your information in a way people want to read it and that sucks because then you both lose and people generally do not like losing, even people who do not care about competition so much because they do not like sports or got picked last in third grade or something crazy like that. So in short, eat your vegetables and refs in the NHL know what they're doing better than you.

People will read this line, though, because it's not in the middle of that run on paragraph.

lol

[Squeaks4]

Yeah totally. I remember this one time, the ref made a call and I was like "No way" except that was the CFL but still there's bad refs everywhere and nobody likes a bad ref especially jeremy roenick lol and stuff. Also nobody likes bad punctuation and people stop reading what you're saying when you put it all in one long run-on paragraph like this, people see it and are like "whoa, that's a lot of words, I am way too lazy to read that" and then you have wasted all this energy writing it and nobody is reading it. See, because at some point you could say something really ridiculous like poopy happyrock and no one would pick up on it because you have failed to present your information in a way people want to read it and that sucks because then you both lose and people generally do not like losing, even people who do not care about competition so much because they do not like sports or got picked last in third grade or something crazy like that. So in short, eat your vegetables and refs in the NHL know what they're doing better than you.

People will read this line, though, because it's not in the middle of that run on paragraph.

Are you reffering to Fighting Irish or myself?

[Squeaks4]

Thanks for everyone's response. I did not know the NHL had become more strict on their refs so thanks for giving me the explination of the changes I have noticed. I still miss the old style though. But I at least understand now that there has been a change and if my job was on the line I would probably call everything that might be a penalty.

[FightinIrish11]

i know that the refs are supposed to be cracking down on the obstructions more. i for one think that is good, though some things are still left uncalled. my point is if they are going to crack down on these penalties, then they need to make a call on something blatent like a player on the bench holding the stick of a player on the ice, especially when a linesman and an official are within close proximity.

[slapshot]

i know that the refs are supposed to be cracking down on the obstructions more. i for one think that is good, though some things are still left uncalled. my point is if they are going to crack down on these penalties, then they need to make a call on something blatent like a player on the bench holding the stick of a player on the ice, especially when a linesman and an official are within close proximity.

Doesn't matter what the linesman sees. His only job is to call icing, offsides, out-of-play, and to help break up fights. The only time I've seen a linesman announce a penalty is either due to a referee becoming incapacitated/injured, or if there's an injury & blood on the play that the referee does not see, the ref may consult with the linesman/men to sort out any possible penalties.

[JQK]

Devils have been hampered by some really off the wall calls by the refs.

[Adam]

i know that the refs are supposed to be cracking down on the obstructions more. i for one think that is good, though some things are still left uncalled. my point is if they are going to crack down on these penalties, then they need to make a call on something blatent like a player on the bench holding the stick of a player on the ice, especially when a linesman and an official are within close proximity.

Doesn't matter what the linesman sees. His only job is to call icing, offsides, out-of-play, and to help break up fights. The only time I've seen a linesman announce a penalty is either due to a referee becoming incapacitated/injured, or if there's an injury & blood on the play that the referee does not see, the ref may consult with the linesman/men to sort out any possible penalties.

Linesman can call Too many men penalties too.

I hate it when they do that...especially when its against my beloved Sens!

[paynomind]

I saw an odd call at the Thrashers game the other night... two players met, near the corner, one ended up on his stomach. They blew the whistle, and called...

Boarding, number 9 Atlanta.

Diving, number 12, Columbus.

OK, it either WAS a hit, or wasnt. You can't have "pushing" and "faking like you got pushed" called at the same time!

[ROCHitman]

The fact that most everyone has announced which team they are rooting for and that these phantom calls have gone AGAINST their team....tells me you're not seeing the big picture.

If these officials weren't good, they'd be in the AHL or CHL.

Try strapping on some skates and officiating a hockey game. Bet you you'll NEVER have a perfect game. WHen I have my first perfect game as referee, then it's time for me to quit.

there was a linesman looking at the whole thing unfold too. it was blatently obvious his stick was being held, so why not make that call

Referees make the calls, not linesman.

The league has told the officials that anyone who doesn't sctrictly enforce the new obstruction guidelines will be fired.

No they didn't! Whoever told you that is being silly. Granted, referees that do not enfore the NEW rules will be met with, fined, suspended, denied work in the playoffs, whatever. But no one is gonna lose their job midseason.

No referee is out there doing a game thinking he's gonna lose his job over a bad call. Get real.

[jkrdevil]

The league has told the officials that anyone who doesn't sctrictly enforce the new obstruction guidelines will be fired.

No they didn't! Whoever told you that is being silly. Granted, referees that do not enfore the NEW rules will be met with, fined, suspended, denied work in the playoffs, whatever. But no one is gonna lose their job midseason.

No referee is out there doing a game thinking he's gonna lose his job over a bad call. Get real.

Of course no Ref is going to be fired in mid-season or over a bad call. But being fined, suspended, and being denied work in the playoffs is all damaging to their careers. So their careers have been threaten if they constantly not strictly enforcing the obstruction guidlines. Thus they are going to call every little thing.

[Le Québécois]

People in Arizona who had no idea what hockey was before the Coyotes came to town should know something...

I went to the Bell Center tuesday night to watch the Coyotes/Candiens game. My seats were 5 rows behind the Coyotes' bench. What I saw there all night long didn't surprise me at all...

Although your coach is the greatest hockey player ever, you have to know that all through his incredible playing career (and coaching according to what I saw tusday night), Gretz always had something to say to the ref. He was always the first to argue for all or nothing, yelling, shouting, giving s**t to the ref for this and that...

Tuesday night, he kept screaming at the referees. I mean he never stopped... The refs are also humans and I'm pretty sure that somewhere, down deep inside, they don't pay ''as wuch'' atention as they should on infractions againt Coyotes players...

I hope it's not the case, but if it is, I wouldn't be surprise at all... Alhtough I'm a Canadiens fan, I must say that they closed their eyes on obvious infractions tuesday night which made me think about what I wrote on this post...

Anyway!

PS: If you see any mistakes, keep in mind that english is my second language!

[OMMF]

I saw an odd call at the Thrashers game the other night... two players met, near the corner, one ended up on his stomach. They blew the whistle, and called...

Boarding, number 9 Atlanta.

Diving, number 12, Columbus.

OK, it either WAS a hit, or wasnt. You can't have "pushing" and "faking like you got pushed" called at the same time!

Sure you can. If I trip you with my stick but you regain your balance, thats still a minor. Now if I trip you and instead of regaining your balance you decide to drop and slide all the way across the ice, that's both a trip and a dive.