Who’s to
blame for the inconsistency with NHL officiating? Is it the Referees? Is it the
players? Is it the coaches? Or is it the League?
Inconsistency
with NHL officiating seems to be a big problem this year, but don’t kid
yourselves habs fans it’s not only happening in Montreal and in games involving
the Montreal Canadiens.
In Montreal
this season, we’ve seen several goals that have been disallowed, we’ve seen questionable
calls on PK Subban and Brendan Gallagher9(partly their fault due to the
reputation they have). We’ve seen some players do the exact same things we call
“hockey plays” that Subban and Gallagher do, and get away with them. These
types of situations happen in every single rink in the league, every single
day.
The game is
faster than ever, the players are big and strong, the coaches have great
strategies and “The League has instructions that they give the Officials.
There are currently
42 Referees and 35 Linesmen on active duty in the NHL. 28 out of the 42 referees
have anywhere from 10 to 26 years of NHL experience. I don’t expect any of
these guys to officiate a game the same way. It’s impossible. Every person
reacts to different situations in different ways. What one referee sees as a
high stick is a hook to another, what one sees as a hook is nothing at all to
another official. Fans will always complain regardless. It’s human nature.
What has
become clear is that we’re all wrong. The officiating is extremely consistent.
They call what they see. That’s the bottom line. That’s where the war room in
Toronto comes in. And ladies and gentlemen that’s where the problem is!
As fans our
major issue is when the Referees go to Toronto and the decisions are almost never
the same on plays that are identical. A rule is a rule. The intent of a player
shouldn’t be considered. He either did it or he didn’t. He either hit the
goalie or he didn’t. He either kicked the puck or he didn’t. Nobody can read
someone else’s thoughts. This nonsense has to stop.
The problem
is not the inconsistency of the Officials; it’s the inconsistency of the NHL.
The NHL has
the war room in Toronto where you have “NON-OFFICIALS” taking officiating
decisions. To me that’s absolutely absurd. You don’t ask a player to referee or
a referee to play. That doesn’t make any sense. The war room should have at
least 1 official assisting with the final decision. The referee knows the rule
book inside out, the referee has been applying the RULES his whole life.
The NHL has
to stop using the word “ INTENT”. My favorite one is the “INTENT TO WHISTLE”. Oh
come on. It’s either the whistle was blown or it wasn’t. It’s either player A
pushed player B from behind, not the intent. Punish the action, everybody will
learn from it.
WHO’S TO
BLAME FOR THE INCONSISTENCY?
-THE DINOSAURES IN CHARGE OF THE NHL!
