The NHL wants to know why hockey is a '2nd-tier sport'

[Dano33 41]

Here is a video from yesterdays Vancouver/Chicago matchup. Ryan Shannon does the spin-o-rama thing in the shootout and bumps into Khabibulin at the same time, giving him no opportunity to make a save.

[DaKineMaui 8]

This may have an obvious answer, but please humor me:

Why doesn't anyone ever get to interview a referee? Is it in their contract that there be no media contact or something? I'm just curious. Must be nice to be that well protected. It's like a meteorologist. He can be wrong every time no matter what, yet he keeps his job.

The last hockey game I've been to was a Spitfire game. The refs were met by the Windsor Police at the dasher boards at the close of the HORRIBLY called second period. The cops also led them back to the ice to begin the 3rd.

I agree with you. Much the same way I feel about politicians - I would like to see A LOT more turnover in the industry. Tired of hearing about 'experience'. Doesn't seem like it helps.

Edited February 11, 2008 by DaKineMaui

[imisssergei 0]

Here is a video from yesterdays Vancouver/Chicago matchup. Ryan Shannon does the spin-o-rama thing in the shootout and bumps into Khabibulin at the same time, giving him no opportunity to make a save.

The difference here is the contact is initiated outside of the crease.

[Hank 0]

Has it occurred to the generally clueless NHL brass that people do not understand the rules in the NHL.

Even long time hockey fans and players.

Let me make this clearer.

Its not so much the rules, but the enforcement of the rules.

The officiating in the NHL is a joke.

How many times today did we hear the announcers question calls at ice level? How many times did we see things that should be called that werent, and things that shouldnt be called, called?

What about that last goal? How does a goalie initiate contact and it is somehow ruled "incidental" and waived off. No penalty on Holmstrom for interference no reason for the call. How is that consistent with Kunitz running into Osgood digging the puck our and leading to a goal. All this on a nation stage.

How many games are aired on national TV in the regular season? If I wasnt a hockey regular I would wonder how often this happens. I know I wouldnt want to watch a league where the commentators (supposed experts) are confused about officiating all game long.

I am tired of the officials and rules of the NHL dragging this game down.

I have watched well over 100 games this year, I can honestly say the officiating is worse this year than any in memory.

WAKE THE f*** UP NHL, you are the laughing stock of pro sports.

Kevin Allen had a great article two years ago about this subject. He dug up old articles from the 20's all the way to today. Guess what? People have whined and complained about officiating since the NHL's conception.

The reason why the NHL is a 2nd-tier sport in the US is because:

- only 10% of the people grow up with the game.

- 50% of the games stars are either Canadian or European

- the standard of 'play' has sucked the life out of the game. Look at this past Saturday's Leafs-Wings tilt. That looked absolutely nothing like the games these two teams have played over the past 80 years. It looked like the game was played in mud as the Leafs did everything they could to slow the game down and suck all life out of it. No fighting, no flow, no scoring. And that's how 90% of the games played today look like.

You want the fans to come back? Fix the schedule so that the league doesn't take every Monday and Tuesday off. This will leave players more refreshed and less injuries.

Encourage more fighting.

SHRINK the goalies!!!!

Take away composite sticks. They suck. Pucks are constantly bouncing off of them, players need to look down to see if the puck is there because they're so light and they explode from simple passes at times.

[Dano33 41]

The difference here is the contact is initiated outside of the crease.

did you watch the video? Khabibulin was clearly in the crease.

[edicius 3,269]

did you watch the video? Khabibulin was clearly in the crease.

Agreed. Did that goal end up counting? Shouldn't have.

[auxlepli 17]

Michelin Man wasn't going to get the puck either yesterday.

[imisssergei 0]

did you watch the video? Khabibulin was clearly in the crease.

Khabibulin's stick makes contact with the skates of Shannon. Shannon does not initiate the contact. Regardless, the contact did not impede Khabibulin from making the save.

[OsGOD 3]

The last hockey game I've been to was a Spitfire game. The refs were met by the Windsor Police at the dasher boards at the close of the HORRIBLY called second period. The cops also led them back to the ice to begin the 3rd.

I agree with you. Much the same way I feel about politicians - I would like to see A LOT more turnover in the industry. Tired of hearing about 'experience'. Doesn't seem like it helps.

Thats an everygame occurance in the OHL... Those refs are horrible. They should modify the rules to say teams play 3 on 3 to start, because at any given time there is at least 4 guys in the box.