The NHL needs to do something about Officiating

[regwinguofmfan 0]

Every year we see the playoffs roll around and the rules seem to change.

Tonight In the OT is a perfect example.

I hate to see officiating ruin games.

I was watching hockey with someone who is new to the game and had to try and answer question of why certain things werent called and why much lesser things were being called.

If I hadnt been watching the NHL for the last 20+ years I would be frustrated as hell as a newcomer to the sport.

It just doesnt make any sense anymore.

Is there anything we can do as fans? OR will we all be victims of horrible officiating forever.

Watching alot of college hockey the refs seem to be MUCH better and FAR more consistent in their calls.

Edited April 23, 2007 by regwinguofmfan

[KYwingfan14 0]

Every year we see the playoffs roll around and the rules seem to change.

Tonight In the OT is a perfect example.

I hate to see officiating ruin games.

I was watching hockey with someone who is new to the game and had to answer question of why certain things werent called and why much lesser things were being called.

If I hadnt been watching the NHL for the last 20+ years I would be frustrated as hell as a newcomer to the sport.

It just doesnt make any sense anymore.

Is there anything we can do as fans? OR will we all be victims of horrible officiating forever.

Watching alot of college hockey the refs seem to be MUCH better and FAR more consistent in there calls.

I agree with ya on that one...there was some HORRIBLE calls in this series...especially the goalie interference calls like when Maltby got pushed into the goal in game 5 they called off the goal and we went a man down for interference...or tonights interference call on Holmstrom--COME ON! There was absolutely no interference there...the Canadian announcers even said that was a bad call

Edited April 23, 2007 by KYwingfan14

[regwinguofmfan 0]

Im not just talking about this series.

The calls around the league are not consistent at all.

Ive watched alot of games so far this year and the calls have been awful.

Worse yet, Campbell the limp d*** that he is has done nothing to protect the players of the league.

Besides yesterdays fiasco, there were horribly negligent hits in the Pitt series as well as many in the Nashville ***** Cats series.

Its getting crazy and the league is sitting by and watching it all.

[clutchngrab 12]

I really agree w/ the poor state of officiating. I undertand and agree with the concept of opening up the game since the strike, but the calls have never been as inconsistent and games determined so arbitrarily in the 30+ years I have been watching hockey. The Calgary Detroit series has been an absolute joke, but you can look at any game anywhere. The only positive thing I can say is that they let the boys play in game 6, when it would have been easy to make this an "officials" game after the shenanigans of game 5 - so maybe there is hope.

[clutchngrab 12]

I really agree w/ the poor state of officiating. I undertand and agree with the concept of opening up the game since the strike, but the calls have never been as inconsistent and games determined so arbitrarily in the 30+ years I have been watching hockey. The Calgary Detroit series has been an absolute joke, but you can look at any game anywhere. The only positive thing I can say is that they let the boys play in game 6, when it would have been easy to make this an "officials" game after the shenanigans of game 5 - so maybe there is hope.

[Elshupacabra 0]

I thought the reffing in tonights game was pretty good, you knew that at least one goaltender interference penalty was coming against the Wings, I'd like to have all those officials for the rest of the playoffs!

[hockeysattva 8]

I disagree with both of you and I am only short by a couple of years, but really I don't think you can compare the dual ref vs. the single ref eras, so I am gonna say that my 91 til today and 96 to today being a hardcore fan should count, not that I don't want to give you guys credit since you watched lots of games I only heard and read about.

I think the officiating is consistent with what it has always been, which I will admit is inconsistent. I mean in the last two minutes of a close game or playoff OT has always meant swallowing the whistles, but only until the liberties got too obvious. Then it seems it is every other or every third infraction. I want to say "nothing new here."

However, every year they talk about making it a more "family friendly" game and so every year we come to expect more from the officials.

I really wish they hadn't stopped calling the dives though. I am think it was four or five years ago, they really started calling dives, and I thought that was pretty good for the game.

Gave more of the impression that the game was actually won on the ice.

[esteef 2,679]

I agree, especially in the last three games. It will no doubt be overlooked because we won but it was just bulls***.

esteef

[Guest Tunbo Batman]

its not getting worse.

its been atrociously horrendous for so long.

tonight's game wasnt the most insulting i've seen by any means.

[hckypete96 3]

it used to be unless the guy was cut or hauled down on the breakaway, there were no penalties called in ot. langs call was total bs.

[Viperar 16]

lets just hope the calls get better now that we wont be playing in canada in round 2

[timsummers 0]

yeah there were some terrible calls. Id have to say that interference call against markov after the missed slapshot was the worst. But last nights game had very good officiating i think. One or 2 soft calls in each direction. I liked that set of refs

[bruisebrother15 29]

It seems that both goaltenders share your confusion on what's being called sometimes since a few times this series both of them skated to the bench for a delayed penalty. Now that I think of it, last night Hasek wasn't sure about a penalty and was asking the ref and he pointed to a Flames player but Hasek still wouldn't head to the bench just to be safe. I can't blame his after the game earlier in the series with McGeough.

I agree that tonights game wasn't too bad. A few missed calls and bad calls for each team.

[edicius 3,269]

NHL referees are consistent.

At being inconsistent.

That said, Game 6's officiating seemed pretty even-handed, although it almost seemed like the two calls on us in OT were to even-up things after the 4-minute high-sticking call on Calgary. I don't quite understand the logic, since the high-sticking call HAD to be called whereas the other two were borderline, at best.

We won anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it right now.

[yankeebaddabing 0]

It's all good, Calgary threw everything they had at us and we prevailed...Even in canada...Even the cheap shots they hit us with and especially with the ridiculous calls...

So in short we won the first round so stop whinning about the sh*tty calls that every team gets while their away !!!

Thank you,

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Every year we see the playoffs roll around and the rules seem to change.

Tonight In the OT is a perfect example.

I hate to see officiating ruin games.

I was watching hockey with someone who is new to the game and had to try and answer question of why certain things werent called and why much lesser things were being called.

If I hadnt been watching the NHL for the last 20+ years I would be frustrated as hell as a newcomer to the sport.

It just doesnt make any sense anymore.

Is there anything we can do as fans? OR will we all be victims of horrible officiating forever.

Watching alot of college hockey the refs seem to be MUCH better and FAR more consistent in their calls.

Sadly the NHL will probably sit on the ass's and do nothing as usuall, I always thaught the refs in soccer we're s***ty but the refs in the NHL are far worse , they have TV reviewing and still screw up.

[rick zombo 3,739]

I think the NHL is basically an impossible league to officiate.

It will only get worse.

[Inultus 12]

Bulls*** calls all around, as usual.

I was playing at the same time as the Wings so I only got to see half the game, but I got high-sticked in the throat on my first face-off (no penalty, but at least the guy apologized when I told him to watch his ******* stick), then our captain got a game misconduct for telling the refs they should have called a trip when he almost had a breakaway (and they should have).

Hockey officiating is horrible everywhere, from the beer leagues to the NHL.

Edited April 23, 2007 by Inultus

[Mudvayneowns91 0]

Trust me. The officiating is so much better in hockey than it is the NBA. At least the refs here try to make the right calls when they see them. The NBA sees a superstar and automatically calls it on the guy that's covering him. They are so much worse

[JSchlenske 0]

I don't know what games everyone is watching but I thought the officiating has been extremely cosistent........................................................Consistently bad.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Sorry if this sounds harsh people but....

Something needs to be done about a lot of members in here about complaining about the officiating 20 hours a day everyday, with a 4 hour rest period.

Can we all pllease just give it a rest?

Referees don't win/lose hockey games for you. If they are calling a lot of penalties, it's up to your PP and PK to win games for you then, not the refs.

[regwinguofmfan 0]

People beefing about the officiating in the NHL is ok.

I think we need to be louder so maybe someone who counts will hear it,

I know its nieve to think that, but dang it has been worse with two guys on the ice than with one.

Just really frustrating.

Watch the game tonight and take notes.

[regwinguofmfan 0]

See what I mean?

I thought the officiating in that game was atrocious.

5 on 3 for the nucks at a critical time. Holding like a mofo, lol

Well I guess playing the last Canadian team in the west is now the Ducks issue.

[esteef 2,679]

Sorry if this sounds harsh people but....

Something needs to be done about a lot of members in here about complaining about the officiating 20 hours a day everyday, with a 4 hour rest period.

Can we all pllease just give it a rest?

Referees don't win/lose hockey games for you. If they are calling a lot of penalties, it's up to your PP and PK to win games for you then, not the refs.

Yeah right, officiating has NO bearing on a game at all. What's in question here is the actual calls themselves, not the resulting PPs and PKs afterwards. Who gives a s*** if you've got a good PK if the call was bulls*** from the start. It'll still wear your team down killing off ridiculous calls all game long, as well as lose fans because they think the game is a joke.

Actually have a point instead of just bitching about other board members' topics all the time.

esteef

Edited April 24, 2007 by esteef

[Flip-check 6]

harold made a comment elsewhere about the reffing being bad everywhere so far, but yeah, it still sucks that they're screwing it up so bad, so consistently.

This was hilarious though, found off the Feeder forums:

"A Preds Fan posted this in the Sharks Flickr Pool.

Still havent gotten the explanation but it seems like it was thrown on the Ice.

A Shark dressed in Stripes - pointing out to the Refs that they are calling the game for the team they "favor" - The Sharks."