NHL officals

[slapshot]

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.

I've seen plenty of tripping/diving calls down in the AHL as well. Basically, the ref has already seen the trip or hook, there's no need for the "victim" to elaborate on the fall or slide.

[Squeaks4]

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!

Well for starters I am only 18 years old so I haven't been around long enough to know everything there is to know about hockey. And you are incorrect, before the Jets became the Coyotes I was into hockey. I was an avid Devils fan and would keep up with scores, stats, and other hockey stuff as much as I could. I was also watching that Coyotes/Candiens game (although I wasn't in the stands) but I do see what you are saying about Gretzky that night. Gretzky and his entire coaching staff was all over the refs towards the end of the game, for good reason, but we dont need to go into that. However he is actually pretty cool headed during games (I go to every other Coyotes game and have 3rd row seats by the penalty box so I do get to see him). Usually his assistan coaches are the ones who are yelling and trying to talk to the refs. One thing I did see on Tuesday nights game (so did the announcers) was a ref turn his back to Gretzky when he was simply trying to get a call explained to him. Almost always if a coach wants to talk to the ref they will happily come over and explain the call so Gretzky called the linemen over to ask him to get the ref and the ref simply skated by, turned to Gretzky and turned away and scared by him. Now to me this is unacceptable to any coach, but to do that to someone who has done so much for the game is ridiculous and all it did was make Gretzky mad for the rest of the game. From then on he was yelling at the ref's all game like you said. I am not saying that Gretzky should be treated above any other coach, but to show that lack of respect to anyone, esspecially a guy who did so much for the sport is just ridiculous and I think is a very good reason to be all over the refs for the rest of the night.

[Squeaks4]

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.

I've seen plenty of tripping/diving calls down in the AHL as well. Basically, the ref has already seen the trip or hook, there's no need for the "victim" to elaborate on the fall or slide.

I have also seen this happen. At first I had the same reaction you did. I thought "well if its a tripping penalty then there can not be a dive, and if there is a dive how can you be called for tripping?" But after seeing the replay it was obvious that the player did trip the other player but it was also obvious that the victum purposely dove into the boards to try and get a boarding penalty (5 min) instead of a simply tripping penalty.

[HedleyLamarr]

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!

I was at that game. Savard did exaggerate the fall.

Speaking of which, Savard's been taking some dumb penalties lately.

[youcan'tseeme]

This NHL sucks! what was wrong with the old NHL? Oh yah, nothing stupid shootout, if neither team out scores the other in reglation and overtime then neither deserves to win. just because a team is terrible on break aways and the other is awesome doesn't mean they deserve to win cause if it did we'ed be watching the BHL.

[Adam]

This NHL sucks! what was wrong with the old NHL? Oh yah, nothing stupid shootout, if neither team out scores the other in reglation and overtime then neither deserves to win. just because a team is terrible on break aways and the other is awesome doesn't mean they deserve to win cause if it did we'ed be watching the BHL.

Ok I've heard enough of people complaining about how the new NHL sucks. Some kinks have to be worked out but once the players learn to use their bodies and not their sticks to stop people the penalties will decrease and the hitting will pick up.

The West has a lot of hitting and body checks and battles in the corners without penalties. Seems some of the Eastern teams haven't learned this yet.

Did you WATCH the old NHL!? It sucked! It was completely trapping and hooking and holding and tripping it was horrible. The new NHL (while special team play is up) is much more open and exciting than the previous NHL incarnation.

[-Helix-]

Well...

I'm boycotting the NHL until after the Olympic break in hopes that the second half of the season will be better.

These referees are jokes. It's like they don't even follow a rulebook anymore. They're not calling the stuff they were supposed to be cracking down on anymore, and make up for it by calling the STUPIDEST penalties.

A guy can trip over his own skatelaces at center ice with nobody on him and the other team can get a powerplay in this NHL. Meanwhile, a player can be hooked and held the entire way down a breakaway and not get anything called. Every game I've seen the past couple of months has been PAINFUL to watch and not entertaining at all.

The NHL now has the biggest jokes for referees in the sporting world. I'm suprised the American media hasn't picked this up and made a laughing stock out of the league yet. It's bound to happen. It's pathetic.

I'm a diehard hockey fan and supporter, and it takes ALOT to turn me away from the game I love and live. But congratulations NHL, you did it! (You didn't have to throw away the :censored:ing rulebook and let the referees freelance the games just to get rid of the trap.)

Anyone know of a way to get European hockey on TV in the US? I'm sure it's better than this crap.

[BBTV]

They need to stop protecting "Sid the Kid" and start calling his dives. The kid is getting rediculous. It's almost like when the NBA had the "Jordan rules."

[zer0dotcom]

Anyone know of a way to get European hockey on TV in the US? I'm sure it's better than this crap.

Funny, weren't the new rules made in order to open up the game and make things more based on skill that clutch and grab, like European Hockey?

I don't care, I like the new NHL. It's nice to see guys getting lots of chances and scoring lots of goals. Guys are actually able to play the game without another guy hanging onto them half the length of the ice. yeah, there are fewer big hits and more penalties. It's nice to see the refs making calls for a change. Hopefully they'll make it stick this time instead of past years when they just gave up after a few months

[jkrdevil]

Anyone know of a way to get European hockey on TV in the US? I'm sure it's better than this crap.

Funny, weren't the new rules made in order to open up the game and make things more based on skill that clutch and grab, like European Hockey?

Exactly, The Euro leagues are widely known for clutching and grabbing, stick work and diving.

[ROCHitman]

A guy can trip over his own skatelaces at center ice with nobody on him and the other team can get a powerplay in this NHL. Meanwhile, a player can be hooked and held the entire way down a breakaway and not get anything called. Every game I've seen the past couple of months has been PAINFUL to watch and not entertaining at all.

You are a master of exxageration my friend.

You are a diehard? and you're boycotting the NHL in favor of Euro-Hockey already?

I think not.

Squea0ks, just give it some more time. The players haven't quite adjusted to the new obstruction rules and are making it difficult all referee's to call a consistent game league wide. I'll admit, there are mistakes being made by NHL officials.

I think if you saw more games outside of Phoenix, you'd see that a bad call or two are made in most games. Officials are human.

Lately, I've heard several Leaf fans angry over calls not going there way.

That is expected as I've always felt Leaf fans tend to think, knowingly or not, that the league revolves around their team, their town. Some have even suggested that the officials are conspiring against Toronto. One even said it's like "kicking a man when he's down." I assumed he meant "down" as in the Leafs being in danger of not making the playoffs. That idea is humourous to me.

Whenever you feel the need to yell at a referee, remember this...

Officiating is one profession where you are expected to be perfect

ALL OF THE TIME, but can be perfect NONE OF THE TIME.