Refs: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

[TOMapleLaughs]

If the NHL is setting mandates on calls being made and regulating games, then it's the NHL, not the refs who are to blame for some of the horrible officiating we've seen.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

NHL Officiating is *by far* the worst out of all 4 professional leauges. Bar none, when it comes too MLB, NFL, NBA and the NHL. Bar none. It seriously feels like the NHL is in favor of a few teams and a biased hate towards a certain few. When a player gets punched multiple times in the face, a star player, the player kindly asks why a call wasn't made and he says, "I didn't feel like calling it" shows how incompetent the league is. The NHL is such a joke that Canucks fans called it. Called what? When the Canucks too a 3-1 lead against the Hawks, Canucks fans across the internet called it, as in "the next slew of powerplays will go for the Hawks" and that's exactly what happened, it's like the officaiting is so predictable. Vancouver Canucks also have a record high of 10 games were they had 0 power plays and the other team took 0 penalties. F in serious????!!!!!

We are use to seeing make up calls, but at times we never get it! Multiple occasions vs Sanjose and Chicago,

and what about the stupid huddle? retarded! they do it sometimes and sometimes they don't do it, gtfo out of here!

NFL has the best officating, as most of the time if it's not as obvious they will do a video review! We need to start doing that to punish the divers and embelleshers. Screw them for crying out loud!

NHL officiating has been worst since the 2006 season! They call anything and everything if they feel like it. There are "make up" calls that happen in favor or our opponents but don't hold your breath, as a Canuck fan I never see us get any breaks.

put a cam in all the refs for crying out loud.

[buddhahoodlum]

NHL Officiating is *by far* the worst out of all 4 professional leauges. Bar none, when it comes too MLB, NFL, NBA and the NHL. Bar none. It seriously feels like the NHL is in favor of a few teams and a biased hate towards a certain few. When a player gets punched multiple times in the face, a star player, the player kindly asks why a call wasn't made and he says, "I didn't feel like calling it" shows how incompetent the league is. The NHL is such a joke that Canucks fans called it. Called what? When the Canucks too a 3-1 lead against the Hawks, Canucks fans across the internet called it, as in "the next slew of powerplays will go for the Hawks" and that's exactly what happened, it's like the officaiting is so predictable. Vancouver Canucks also have a record high of 10 games were they had 0 power plays and the other team took 0 penalties. F in serious????!!!!!

We are use to seeing make up calls, but at times we never get it! Multiple occasions vs Sanjose and Chicago,

and what about the stupid huddle? retarded! they do it sometimes and sometimes they don't do it, gtfo out of here!

NFL has the best officating, as most of the time if it's not as obvious they will do a video review! We need to start doing that to punish the divers and embelleshers. Screw them for crying out loud!

NHL officiating has been worst since the 2006 season! They call anything and everything if they feel like it. There are "make up" calls that happen in favor or our opponents but don't hold your breath, as a Canuck fan I never see us get any breaks.

put a cam in all the refs for crying out loud.

Why don't you tell us how you really feel!

In all serious though, the NFL is slower than hockey and the players don't have weapons and aren't hitting each other with them when the refs backs are turned. Players will get away with what they feel the refs allow. If there was a zero tolerance policy on slashes, hooks, cross checks, and high sticks, we might eventually see a change in how the game is played.

[MayRayDown]

I'm actually a big fan of the referee huddle...whatever it takes to get the right call.

Talking about when they let Crosby out of the box for whining? I thought it was kind of dumb that they took Crosby out of the box, there's been worse calls that has costed teams.

The guy went down either you give Crosby the tripping penalty, give the player a dive or give them both offsetting penalties

[TheXFactor]

Refs are human too. They make mistakes and they certainly can hold grudges against certain players.

With that said, I don't think there's actually an anti-Canuck bias so much as a few of the refs dislike certain players on our team. People need to remember that we had Kesler, Burrows (still), Torres, Cooke, and Lapierre.

However I would say there is favor towards the Original 6. Boston in particular until the league finally realized how dirty the team played at times (though they still get away with crap every now and then). Most Quebecois refs have always been biased towards Montreal too IMO.

[Ronalds.Kenins41]

If you take your Homer glasses off you'll realize they call it fairly for the most part.

But the last three playoff series I have to agree we got the short end of the stick.

[6YPE]

My two cents. I don't think there is truly a bias against the Canucks by all the refs. I do think some are more partial to some teams than others.

But what I have a problem with is consistency with the calls. What is a hooking penalty called by one ref might not be called by another.

Interference is one of the biggest mysteries to me. I've seen games where it's called very close, others where they dont call what I think is a blatant interference call compared to what I've seen in the past...

So I really don't know what to make of the officiating over all, I guess I just wish they would make standard on what is a penalty and what isnt and they all stick to it, make it even across the board.

[The Lock]

I think this talk of refs having a bias against the Canucks is merely Canuck fans with their own bias towards the team. News flash: it's the same with any team. I don't care what examples someone can give me about times when the refs made a bad call against the Canucks. That evidence shows the inconsistentcy of the refs in general. It does not show a bias towards the Canucks.

On a somewhat related note, any time you have an opportunity to improve the consistency of the reffing, that idea should be jumped on. I'm glad we are getting better technology to assist the refs in their decision making and hopefully we can see better consistency in the game in the near future.

[Industrious1]

I doubt there is a clear bias against Vancouver (except for possibly O'Halloran, yikes).

However, I think it is pretty well accepted that the NHL employs 'game management' practices to put the most entertaining product on ice for the fans. Much like the shootout though this caters to the more casual audience and rarely pleases the 'hardcore' fans that watch day in and day out.

Personally I'd just prefer the game to be called down the middle and let the chips fall where they may...coach's challenge would also be a great addition to the game...and I don't care if it add's 10-15 minutes to each matchup, as long as justice is done.

[Heretic]

Look at this one - he high sticks himself and the other guy gets a penalty! Should have been holding the stick:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVJ6k2InruY

[oldnews]

I'm in favour of the ideas proposed to create more accountability and transparency.

I'd also be in favour of empowering teams more - to have a limited veto power where certain officials are concerned, and most certainly in the playoffs. Say a list of 5 officials that teams can elect to disempower to do their games.

Who certain teams elect to prevent from officiating their games would be extremely telling.

When guys like the Sedins take unsportsmanlike penalties - that too is an indicator that's pretty much louder than a bomb.

An NHL where O'Halloran, Sutherland, Lee, Rooney - are not doing Canucks games - imo is the fastest, simplest way to a vastly improved NHL that there is.

[King Heffy]

I'm in favour of the ideas proposed to create more accountability and transparency.

I'd also be in favour of empowering teams more - to have a limited veto power where certain officials are concerned, and most certainly in the playoffs. Say a list of 5 officials that teams can elect to disempower to do their games.

Who certain teams elect to prevent from officiating their games would be extremely telling.

When guys like the Sedins take unsportsmanlike penalties - that too is an indicator that's pretty much louder than a bomb.

An NHL where O'Halloran, Sutherland, Lee, Rooney - are not doing Canucks games - imo is the fastest, simplest way to a vastly improved NHL that there is.

I've suggested this numerous times. When guys like Sutherland consistently cause issues for the same team, there's a problem. The simplest solution is to remove the problem official from the situation. This has the added benefit of being a pretty decent indicator of performance. If 20 teams refuse to let a given official work their games, it's a pretty clear indicator that the official has no business reffing NHL games.

[tyhee]

Officiating ... it's mostly the league's fault at this stage.

...

I, too have problems with the league and how it controls officiating-or doesn't. Unfortunately my feelings about this are probably stronger than they should be and are about to come out.

1. If indeed the league instructs its officials to keep games close by not calling all but the most necessary penalties against trailing teams and calling more closely against the leading team, then the league is deliberately tampering with the results of games. If that is indeed the case, it is bush league, right up there with amateur wrestling.

I said "If" but believe that is in fact what happens because it is so noticeable and so frequent.

2. The NHL fines anyone connected with a team that criticizes the officiating. They take the position that the referees are right and can't be criticized. (I know, there have been a few odd exceptions.)

In baseball the manager gets in the umpire's face and jaws at him. The umpire isn't perfect. In hockey, that would be a penalty and there can't be any disagreement with the call later.

Again, I think the NHL's position is bush league. I don't mind fines for disrespectful comments, but saying the referee made a mistake is not, in and of itself, disrespectful. Further, perhaps more open discussion would serve to improve the level of officiating then being sheltered hiding behind doors knowing you can't be criticized in public.

Officiating is a tough job. Spectators, players, coaches and managers don't watch objectively and will often be wrong in what they think happened, but the league loses respect, at least in my eyes, by not being open about calls. Criticism can be squelched, but disagreement should not be, imo.

3. I personally thought the league completely screwed up its handling of the Burrows-Auger affair and that the official's calls on the ice made for abundant evidence that Auger did exactly what Burrows claimed Auger had said he would do.

The on-ice calls were so bad that they called for an explanation, any explanation. Burrows provided the only plausible one. When the league fined Burrows it lost a fan, though in weakness I relented a little over a year later in excitement of the Canucks' 2010-2011 performance. Still, I relented as a fan of the Canucks, not as a fan of the league.

I have trouble respecting a league that whitewashes such behaviour refuses to allow disagreement with calls and tampers with results to keep games close. I also think that such behaviour by the league does not lead to optimum refereeing.

Sorry for the rant.

[King Heffy]

Right on cue, another ref with a garbage call on Burrows. At least the WWE is honest about fixing their matches.

[buddhahoodlum]

I, too have problems with the league and how it controls officiating-or doesn't. Unfortunately my feelings about this are probably stronger than they should be and are about to come out.

1. If indeed the league instructs its officials to keep games close by not calling all but the most necessary penalties against trailing teams and calling more closely against the leading team, then the league is deliberately tampering with the results of games. If that is indeed the case, it is bush league, right up there with amateur wrestling.

I said "If" but believe that is in fact what happens because it is so noticeable and so frequent.

2. The NHL fines anyone connected with a team that criticizes the officiating. They take the position that the referees are right and can't be criticized. (I know, there have been a few odd exceptions.)

In baseball the manager gets in the umpire's face and jaws at him. The umpire isn't perfect. In hockey, that would be a penalty and there can't be any disagreement with the call later.

Again, I think the NHL's position is bush league. I don't mind fines for disrespectful comments, but saying the referee made a mistake is not, in and of itself, disrespectful. Further, perhaps more open discussion would serve to improve the level of officiating then being sheltered hiding behind doors knowing you can't be criticized in public.

Officiating is a tough job. Spectators, players, coaches and managers don't watch objectively and will often be wrong in what they think happened, but the league loses respect, at least in my eyes, by not being open about calls. Criticism can be squelched, but disagreement should not be, imo.

3. I personally thought the league completely screwed up its handling of the Burrows-Auger affair and that the official's calls on the ice made for abundant evidence that Auger did exactly what Burrows claimed Auger had said he would do.

The on-ice calls were so bad that they called for an explanation, any explanation. Burrows provided the only plausible one. When the league fined Burrows it lost a fan, though in weakness I relented a little over a year later in excitement of the Canucks' 2010-2011 performance. Still, I relented as a fan of the Canucks, not as a fan of the league.

I have trouble respecting a league that whitewashes such behaviour refuses to allow disagreement with calls and tampers with results to keep games close. I also think that such behaviour by the league does not lead to optimum refereeing.

Sorry for the rant.

I know the refs have a tough job but it is abundantly clear that game management does happen. Whether or not those instructions come from the top is debatable, but if so, then the idea of game or series fixing isn't just for "conspiracy nuts". I think the NHL has very poor optics. I mean what can you expect from a league that allows a player who hasn't yet retired (and will be eligible for HOF this year) who was one of the dirtiest to lace them up, join the Department of Player Safety? That's pretty messed up. Nothing to do with the on-ice officials of course, but just goes to show the NHL is a rudderless ship, imo.

[-AJ-]

I'll be honest, I'm impressed with how they've been more willing to change their calls nowadays. I've seen calls reversed that I've never seen reversed before.

[-AJ-]

There you go folks, another example of the huge leap that referees have taken this year. A whistle blown too early, yet they were willing to overturn it and allow the goal. You go back a year or two and you can bet that goal would hardly even be reviewable, nevermind and allowable goal.

[JeremyCuddles]

There you go folks, another example of the huge leap that referees have taken this year. A whistle blown too early, yet they were willing to overturn it and allow the goal. You go back a year or two and you can bet that goal would hardly even be reviewable, nevermind and allowable goal.

Followed up by the no call on Higgins in OT. If that were Crosby he'd get a penalty shot, then denied by Luongo.

[yoshiyoshi]

dont forget that slash on mattias near the start of the game on a perfect scoring opportunity. And the punch to the head of kassian

[Mattrek]

I really like the fact the league implemented the huddle rule where refs can discuss and overturn a call like that goal tonight. It's a step in the right direction. Add the ability for a coach to have one play per game looked at from Toronto whether it be a goal, a penalty or a non call and the officiating will be improved dramatically. Referees wouldn't make stupid calls because of the public humiliation they could face having the bosses overturn them. Have that happen enough times and the referees would be publically pressured to be fired and we'd weed out the bad refs. I know that's probably impossible, but the stopped play being overturned into a goal tonight seemed impossible to happen only a year ago, so who knows.