NHL referees

[yankeebaddabing 0]

Why doesn't the NHL crack down on some of these officials. It seems that some bad refs almost determine the outcome of games due to bad calls and some horrible non calls.

Why can't retard bettman get it right. All i ask is keep it fair and get it correct.

Anyone care to elaborate

[HOCKEY MATTERS 167]

There's been a LOT of discussion on this subject in the last couple of months. I wouldn't be surprised if you get posts telling you to search topics before starting one, blah, blah, blah.

Anyway. Some would say that it's exactly what the NHL wants. Real close games with as high of a score as possible. Refereeing is a great tool for controlling the outcome of a game. Some will say that's BS and some will say it's true. I say believe your own eyes. The zebras are up to something.

[vangvace 12]

public whipping of refs by the league is not a good thing imo

[yankeebaddabing 0]

There's been a LOT of discussion on this subject in the last couple of months. I wouldn't be surprised if you get posts telling you to search topics before starting one, blah, blah, blah.

Anyway. Some would say that it's exactly what the NHL wants. Real close games with as high of a score as possible. Refereeing is a great tool for controlling the outcome of a game. Some will say that's BS and some will say it's true. I say believe your own eyes. The zebras are up to something.

I have seen the other posts regarding this issue however I feel it needs to be discussed due to the fact that games are being decided by bad calls or by lack thereof calls.

If you watch alot of hockey like me then you will see that the losing team generally gets more power play chances. I have not dug up any stats, I am just going by what I see on the ice.

It is not right and needs to be widespread so more people are aware of the problem.

Now I understand the NHL is worried about tv ratings and the likings but come on, Is it fair to the better teams, doesn't it effect stats for players and what about the fans for the team who got robbed, Does that make them like hockey more? No

It does not make sense other then trying to get high scoring games that go to a shootout for advertising dollars, So am i paying to much for jerseys then? You have got to do better then there are already threads for this........

[yankeebaddabing 0]

public whipping of refs by the league is not a good thing imo

No one said they should be cained but fined YES, or how about losing there job to someone that can call it correct, huh

[robat 13]

They are doing their best. Human error happens. As much as you want to think that the refs care about the outcome of the game, they don't. More often then not they go unnoticed, which means they are doing their job. They want the best for the game, just like everyone else.

[miller76 463]

You know I get pissed off, and yell at my tv, like a lot of watchers on here. I know it seems often and one sided. But again, these referees and linesmen do a good job overall. It's got to be overwhelming at times with so much going on at once. Their covering the puck as well as the game away from it. It's a tough job to get it right every second of every game. They are human. Except McGeough, I don't what he is!

It's not going to change anytime soon. The hooking, the interference, holding, and slashing are going to be constants in the game. They're not going anywhere, anytime soon. The league uses these minor penalties to their advantage to help showcase the superstar puckhandler. If you dont abide, be prepared for to go on the PK.

[VM1138 1,921]

They are doing their best. Human error happens. As much as you want to think that the refs care about the outcome of the game, they don't. More often then not they go unnoticed, which means they are doing their job. They want the best for the game, just like everyone else.

I think it's gotten beyond that. Something strange is goign on. The league doesn't need to call them out. But a memo or something telling them to stop worrying about the politics of the league and to focus on the play instead of influencing the outcome of the game would be nice.

[yankeebaddabing 0]

They are doing their best. Human error happens. As much as you want to think that the refs care about the outcome of the game, they don't. More often then not they go unnoticed, which means they are doing their job. They want the best for the game, just like everyone else.

O.K my bad, I should have said that people who watch hockey and understand it should elaborate on the subject b/c clearly everyone knows humans make mistakes but I'm talking about a player getting tripped right in front of the ref's face and everyone in the building screaming but play continues then right after that the other team gets called for lets say hooking when there was a quick lift of the stick. Yeah it happens alot, very noticeablely, so don't give your opinion if you haven't a clue what i'm talking about.

If they want a fair game then why all a sudden so many games going to the shootout, the salary cap, yeah o.k PAL

[yankeebaddabing 0]

I think it's gotten beyond that. Something strange is goign on. The league doesn't need to call them out. But a memo or something telling them to stop worrying about the politics of the league and to focus on the play instead of influencing the outcome of the game would be nice.

That is what i'm talking about, let a fair game proceed for the imbetterment of the sport

[yankeebaddabing 0]

You know I get pissed off, and yell at my tv, like a lot of watchers on here. I know it seems often and one sided. But again, these referees and linesmen do a good job overall. It's got to be overwhelming at times with so much going on at once. Their covering the puck as well as the game away from it. It's a tough job to get it right every second of every game. They are human. Except McGeough, I don't what he is!

It's not going to change anytime soon. The hooking, the interference, holding, and slashing are going to be constants in the game. They're not going anywhere, anytime soon. The league uses these minor penalties to their advantage to help showcase the superstar puckhandler. If you dont abide, be prepared for to go on the PK.

So what are you saying that they need more linesman on the ice or????

I don't agree at all!!

come on somebody help me here........

[robat 13]

O.K my bad, I should have said that people who watch hockey and understand it should elaborate on the subject b/c clearly everyone knows humans make mistakes but I'm talking about a player getting tripped right in front of the ref's face and everyone in the building screaming but play continues then right after that the other team gets called for lets say hooking when there was a quick lift of the stick. Yeah it happens alot, very noticeablely, so don't give your opinion if you haven't a clue what i'm talking about.

If they want a fair game then why all a sudden so many games going to the shootout, the salary cap, yeah o.k PAL

So are you saying I don't know anything about the game? I'm only 19 years-old, but I've been playing the game since I was 4. Don't call me out on that. My point is, is that they don't care about the outcome of the game. They are an unbiased mediator of the game.

[miller76 463]

So what are you saying that they need more linesman on the ice or????

I don't agree at all!!

come on somebody help me here........

No I am saying, get a grip. It's the NHL. If you dont agree maybe you should listen to xm 204, where they interview Bill Daly regularly. Or listen to Bettmans show on Sunday afternoons. This is a constant subject beaten to death. Granted their going to tell you what they want to. But I am not making what I wrote up. Its constantly repeated by the league, the writers, and the broadcasters. But to come out and try and find proof here of a freakin conspiracy seems a little goofy. If you want proof of refs who are fixing games, watch the NBA.

[Wings_Rule_1010 4]

I would like to believe that these calls/non-calls eventually even out. Today's game was brutal for the reffing. Twice in the last 5 minutes there was blatant holding, one happened seconds before the 4th Phoenix goal. So the ref's non-call led indirectly to the goal. He calls it and that goal never happens. If they don't call that, then they shouldn't be calling those sissy "hooking" penalties.

I don't know what to do about the inconsistencies and how to fix them. I guess we are all human and things that we see on television aren't as evident to the refs as they are to us.

Edited December 14, 2008 by Wings_Rule_1010

[thedisappearer 291]

come on somebody help me here........

*hands yankeebaddabing a Valium

Relax, dude. You're swinging at ghosts right now.

[lets go pavel 2]

Either

A. There is no conspiracy to slant calls one way or the other, the referees are doing the best they can. Most of the time they get things right but sometimes calls are blown, in which case fining them is silly and firing them will more than likely not improve anything. Private performance reviews between the league and officials, much like what happens in any other job, is the only real fix, and most likely this already happens.

or

B. What appears to be a league-wide effort to give losing teams more calls in an attempt to produce closer games is excactly as it appears, but if this is the case it is almost certainly a conspiracy on the part of the league, not the referees, which means the league is perfectly happy with the officiating and won't want to do anything about it.

Personally I subscribe to choice A, but regardless of which scenario you believe the league really isn't going to do anything noteworthy to change the officiating.

[dicksmack 33]

They are doing their best. Human error happens. As much as you want to think that the refs care about the outcome of the game, they don't. More often then not they go unnoticed, which means they are doing their job. They want the best for the game, just like everyone else.

And how would you know that? You don't... As these guys chose hockey as a career, and therefore love the game, why wouldn't they also be passionate fans? They have favourite teams, countries, underdogs, just like the rest of us humans... Their job is to try their best to be impartial and they are struggling to do this in my opinion and when it affects the outcome of the game, fans have a right to be upset and a right to call a spade a spade.

The mugging that went uncalled and led to the 4th goal for Phoenix is unacceptable. Letting the ticky tack stuff is go is good in a tight game at the end of the 3rd but did the fact that the 'yotes were on a 4 on 2 and could win influence the the call? The blantant tackle begs the question.

[hockey&beer 16]

Regardless of how perceivably horrible the officiating is, NHL officials are much better than there counterparts in the other major sports. Hockey is lightening fast compared to football or basketball and as many calls as they miss they can make fantastic ones as well.

For example, Kronwall's holding call in the 3rd(?) when he grabbed the Yotes arm as they were both behind Ozzie with the puck laying in the crease. If the officials were as horrible as what people think that call would never have been made. If the same thing happened to Homer we would be calling for a penalty shot.

Of course its true that the phantom holding and hooking calls are a tad ridiculous, but that is more the fault of Campbell than the officails themselves. Before the season, DoO released a video, which was posted on NHL.com, that highlighted the new rules in effect and also the "new" criteria for some penalties. If your stick is parallel to the ice and you touch another player, hooking. If your free hand touches another player, holding.

When everything is all said and done, officiating would be better if the consistancy was there. Campbell's goal was to make calls easier by removing the grey areas. The problem is: when everything is called everyone complains, when some are called everyone complains, when few are called everyone complains. For the officials, this is a lose-lose-lose situation.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

I just wonder how when we are down we always have to rely on a blatant high stickign penalty or delay of game while the Penguins always have like 2 consecutave 5 on 3s handed to them

[big_D 0]

O.K my bad, I should have said that people who watch hockey and understand it should elaborate on the subject b/c clearly everyone knows humans make mistakes but I'm talking about a player getting tripped right in front of the ref's face and everyone in the building screaming but play continues then right after that the other team gets called for lets say hooking when there was a quick lift of the stick. Yeah it happens alot, very noticeablely, so don't give your opinion if you haven't a clue what i'm talking about.

If they want a fair game then why all a sudden so many games going to the shootout, the salary cap, yeah o.k PAL

Wow did you not get any love when you where little? Stop being an A$$wipe he gave his opinion because he can....

[evil204 4]

Forget the conspiracy theories for a moment. Just look at last night's game. The goalie interference call on Hossa? The slashing penalty to Samuelsson? How about the punch to his face on the same play being called by the referee standing at center ice 100ft away from where it happened, not the one who was standing right there? I could go back and watch that game and find a hundred things that were A LOT worse than what the refs gave out penalties for.

Someone said earlier that the new criteria for hooking is touching another player with your stick parallel to the ice... well, what kind of rule is that??? It happens every 5 seconds in a hockey game. Either call it every 5 seconds or don't call it at all.

And the referees being human... that's not an excuse. Sure, they'll make mistakes, but this wasn't such a big problem before the lockout. I don't know who is to blame for this, but with the officiating the way it is, the game is a joke. As much as I like hockey, I know I wouldn't be watching it if I wasn't a Red Wings fan.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

They are doing their best. Human error happens. As much as you want to think that the refs care about the outcome of the game, they don't. More often then not they go unnoticed, which means they are doing their job. They want the best for the game, just like everyone else.

I've been a basketball and a soccer referee at levels much, much lower than professional. The game still happens fast and you have to focus on a bajillion things to make sure the game is called as fairly as possible.

Granted I'll still get a little bonkers at the TV if I think a referee made a bad call, the first basketball game I ever officiated I gained a whole new respect for what referees of any level go through. Nobody will ever be happy, somebody will always complain to them about a call/no-call, they got to deal with stupid fans and even worse I think, parents of kids if it is a high school game or something, and they have to deal with so much action on the playing surface. Also, take into consideration I think it is a lot easier to see possible fault in a call when you are in the crowd or on TV as opposed to a ref on the playing surface. But, refs aren't going to be in the crowds anytime soon, so that idea would be thrown out the window.

I pretty much accepted a long time ago that pretty much any game you have the officiating isn't going to be a perfect science and will be inconsistent due to human error, which is why I rarely go on to say that officials have a major impact or are the ultimate deciding factors in the outcome of a game. And that is why I cannot stand it when I see stuff like "The referees want my favorite team to lose" or "Referees are having a conspiracy theory to make our team lose on purpose!"

Do referees have an outcome on a game result? Without question, but so do a myriad of other things as well outside of the control of referees such as the teams playing the game, weather conditions if you are outdoors, crowds, etc.

[vangvace 12]

fairness in refereeing from a league that runs like a dysfunctional family. Me thinks there are bigger issues right now.

[XxGoWingsxX 0]

Well it seems to me that either the team thats favored to win, or the team that is in the lead in the 3rd...spends more time in the box for stupid things...and the other team gets away with murder. Take the Dallas game...holmstrom went to go behind the net to get a puck, we had Z up front wide open....TURCO moves in front of homer and grabs him...the ref sees this and waves at turco to let him go...now, had homer slightly bumped turco...Interference...no ifs ands or buts. But turco stepped out of the crease, to IMPEDE homers progress...and GRABBED him....NO CALL?

The pheonix game: I dont know which players were involved but a coyote wrapped his arms around a wing's waist, and threw him down on the ground...again the linesmen right there broke it up and the anouncers (coyotes broadcast) said yeah "the refs did a good job of letting that one go" except...it led to a 4 on 2 rush for pheonix because whoever got tackled was down, and we were already on a PK. So that BLOWN CALL almost directly affected the game's outcome.

Hossa drives the net...is slightly hooked from behind, falls after bryzgalov makes a great save and slides into him because he was hooked...yet HE got goalie interference....so, i can see where the OP is thinking something is up

[chrisdetroit 189]

I have seen the other posts regarding this issue however I feel it needs to be discussed due to the fact that games are being decided by bad calls or by lack thereof calls.

If you watch alot of hockey like me then you will see that the losing team generally gets more power play chances. I have not dug up any stats, I am just going by what I see on the ice.

It is not right and needs to be widespread so more people are aware of the problem.

Now I understand the NHL is worried about tv ratings and the likings but come on, Is it fair to the better teams, doesn't it effect stats for players and what about the fans for the team who got robbed, Does that make them like hockey more? No

It does not make sense other then trying to get high scoring games that go to a shootout for advertising dollars, So am i paying to much for jerseys then? You have got to do better then there are already threads for this........

Yea right and Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone when he shot Kennedy.

If the losing teams get more power play opportunities it would stand to reason that over the season that has been played the number of opportunities would be higher for the teams like Dallas, the Inslanders, etc.

Well let's take a look...

Top 5 teams in PPO

Rangers

Calgary

San Jose

Carolina

Pittsburgh

Montreal

Bottom 5 teams (least PPO)

New Jersey

Boston

Florida

Aneheim

Detroit

There's no pattern. 2 of the top teams - Boston and Detroit get less power play opportunities but so does Florida

3 of the 5 teams that get the most are quality teams - Rangers, San Jose and Montreal

It may make a good sound bite but the refs don't favor the teams that are behind overall.