NHL Ref Armbands

[philly97flyer]

Or, rather, it's going back to being for skating and hitting, not for hooking and holding.

Funny, they change the rules to emphasize skill and suddenly the Flyers suck. Hmmmmm....

Here's this years Flyers team picture:

Im a flyers fan/season ticket holder, and yet i still find that pretty funny lol

[canefan2k1]

Referees sport new silver unis at All-Star Game

By Paul Lukas

Special to ESPN.com

While most of the uniform-based attention at the NHL All-Star Game was focused on the players' new Reebok-designed attire, another uniform story went largely unheralded and unnoticed.

Like the players, NHL referees will start sporting their new uniforms next season.

Referees were wearing silver armbands, instead of their usual orange, and ESPN.com has learned that this change will be made permanent next season.

"It's coming for next season," NHL spokesperson Nirva Milord said in an e-mail from the All-Star Game in Dallas. "We're just giving it a consistent look with the new NHL logo."

That logo, introduced prior to the 2005-06 season, is black and silver, while the league's previous emblem was black and orange, matching the refs' current armbands.

This change would mark a significant shift in the look of hockey officiating, since hockey referees around the world wear either red or orange armbands, regardless of their leagues' logo designs.

But it won't be as radical a departure as the switch to zebra-striped jerseys in the 1950s. Prior to that, NHL officials wore beige V-neck sweaters over white dress shirts and neckties.

In addition to the new armbands, the All-Star Game officials tried out a new piece of equipment at the All-Star Game: a high-pitched whistle that interfaces with the arena's game clock.

According to NHL linesman Jean Morin, who posted a message on the discussion board at the NHL Officials Association Web site, "This is a whistle that is used as part of a system to stop the clock when the whistle is blown." It's not yet clear if the new whistle will be implemented on a wider basis next season.

[steiny_ramone]

Referees sport new silver unis at All-Star Game

By Paul Lukas

Special to ESPN.com

While most of the uniform-based attention at the NHL All-Star Game was focused on the players' new Reebok-designed attire, another uniform story went largely unheralded and unnoticed.

Like the players, NHL referees will start sporting their new uniforms next season.

Referees were wearing silver armbands, instead of their usual orange, and ESPN.com has learned that this change will be made permanent next season.

"It's coming for next season," NHL spokesperson Nirva Milord said in an e-mail from the All-Star Game in Dallas. "We're just giving it a consistent look with the new NHL logo."

That logo, introduced prior to the 2005-06 season, is black and silver, while the league's previous emblem was black and orange, matching the refs' current armbands.

This change would mark a significant shift in the look of hockey officiating, since hockey referees around the world wear either red or orange armbands, regardless of their leagues' logo designs.

But it won't be as radical a departure as the switch to zebra-striped jerseys in the 1950s. Prior to that, NHL officials wore beige V-neck sweaters over white dress shirts and neckties.

In addition to the new armbands, the All-Star Game officials tried out a new piece of equipment at the All-Star Game: a high-pitched whistle that interfaces with the arena's game clock.

According to NHL linesman Jean Morin, who posted a message on the discussion board at the NHL Officials Association Web site, "This is a whistle that is used as part of a system to stop the clock when the whistle is blown." It's not yet clear if the new whistle will be implemented on a wider basis next season.

Oh my god, NHL, why can't you just :censored: off?

[EatSleepJeep]

They are (not so) slowly ruining every aspect of the game and its heritage.

[ElwoodCuse]

They are (not so) slowly ruining every aspect of the game and its heritage.

I've heard it suggested that "My NHL" is the most grossly inaccurate marketing slogan in sports, and that a more accurate version would be "F--- each and every one of you, but please keep paying big bucks for tickets and jerseys".

[bigreid07]

i KNEW the whistles sounded different. I'm ALL for technology...but have clock operators screwed up over the years SO bad that we have to have a whistle to run it?

We see how the great tech worked on the speed skating portion of SuperSkills (couldnt calibrate the clocks, so they had to use *gasp* a manual stopwatch!)

I think it would have been cool to go bad to the old school RED band.

[steiny_ramone]

They are (not so) slowly ruining every aspect of the game and its heritage.

I've heard it suggested that "My NHL" is the most grossly inaccurate marketing slogan in sports, and that a more accurate version would be "F--- each and every one of you, but please keep paying big bucks for tickets and jerseys".

I like that. It's pretty accurate. Where'd you hear it?

[ElwoodCuse]

I like that. It's pretty accurate. Where'd you hear it?

Sports forum at Something Awful (from a near-violently disgruntled Red Wings fan, IIRC).

[RedRenesis]

The NHL feels the need to color coordinate the refs armband with the league shield? It's really so stupid and pointless, hopefully better sense prevails in the league office on this one.

[ROCHitman]

I think the change in armbands is a bad idea if they are changing it solely to reflect consistency with the league's new logo.

However, the new whistles will work great. Trusst me. Love that idea.

[-Helix-]

Man you guys are annoying.

Talk about complaining for the sake of complaining. The only time I noticed the change in the armband color was when the camera was on the referees. Who the hell watches the referees during gameplay.

"OH HOCKEY IS RUINED FOREVER I CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REFEREE AND THE LINESMAN"

And complaining about the whistle too? Just because the whistle stops the clock instead of the timekeeper? Jesus H Christ. Personally I think thats pretty bad ass. I wonder how well it would work in a really loud building though.

I'm about to stop following hockey on the pure basis of how stupid the fans are. Gotta be the biggest whiners of the sporting world.

[-kj]

I'm guessing that the whistle tech has less to do with audible sound and more to do with the parts of the sound spectrum that humans can't really hear. I think that's kindof interesting. I've done scorekeeping for hockey--on a much lower level--and it is relatively easy to make mistakes regarding the time, even in a no-noise rink. Add in the crowd noise in a large arena, and I can see why experimenting with some tech might not be a bad thing.

As for the armbands... y'know, there are just some things that don't need changing. Orange. End of story. (Never mind that there are reasons that the referees should be easily discernible from the linesmen.)

[slapshot]

Man you guys are annoying.

Talk about complaining for the sake of complaining. The only time I noticed the change in the armband color was when the camera was on the referees. Who the hell watches the referees during gameplay.

"OH HOCKEY IS RUINED FOREVER I CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REFEREE AND THE LINESMAN"

And complaining about the whistle too? Just because the whistle stops the clock instead of the timekeeper? Jesus H Christ. Personally I think thats pretty bad ass. I wonder how well it would work in a really loud building though.

I'm about to stop following hockey on the pure basis of how stupid the fans are. Gotta be the biggest whiners of the sporting world.

A little thing like changing the color of the armband does make a big difference between knowing if the trail official is raising his arm for a delayed penalty, or if it's the trail linesman raising his hand for an icing or offsides call.

I watch the players and referees during gameplay, and I know a lot of fans who do the same. I am a sports official, and I enjoy watching my fellow brothers work their games, regardless of the level or sport.

It's so nice that you took time out of your day to make your point known. Do you not understand the point of this board, and the attention the members give to the minutiae of uniform details?

If you want to leave hockey, go ahead. It won't miss you.

[EatSleepJeep]

Man you guys are annoying.

Talk about complaining for the sake of complaining. The only time I noticed the change in the armband color was when the camera was on the referees. Who the hell watches the referees during gameplay.

"OH HOCKEY IS RUINED FOREVER I CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REFEREE AND THE LINESMAN"

And complaining about the whistle too? Just because the whistle stops the clock instead of the timekeeper? Jesus H Christ. Personally I think thats pretty bad ass. I wonder how well it would work in a really loud building though.

I'm about to stop following hockey on the pure basis of how stupid the fans are. Gotta be the biggest whiners of the sporting world.

If you don't understand the significance between an arm raised by the referee which allows a team to pull their goalie for another skater and an arm rasied by a linesman which can mean a variety of things, you have no business being a fan.

See you later.

...and thanks for reinforcing my perception of Lightning fans and the the people of Florida in general.