Officiating in the NHL:Antiquated,Incompetent,Inconsistent?

[The Quigster]

I was just reading Kerry Fraser's comments on Kronwall and Ovie's uncalled hits,which I sure everybody here have already seen. The NHL could do a lot to improve officiating,just adding what is presently available technology. The NHL has been a backward league(except for tax exempt status) for a long time. It's time to join the rest of the professional sports leagues using technology to improve the game.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Any tech that will help officials get calls correct is alright by me.

 

Baseball has long been a sport where they like their 'human elements' of the game.

Warts and all.

 

And even they have delved into the high tech world of replays, varying camera angles, and frame by frame digital video to settle disputed calls.

Heck, they have even introduced a sort of challenge system for the managers.

If the MLB, a league long known for its 'traditions' and 'doing things the way they've always done them' can get with the times, so can the NHL.

 

Not saying the NHL has to 'copy' anyone, but high time they used whatever tech IS available (within reason of course), to improve the game.

 

First and foremost, however, the National Hockey League simply has to be consistent throughout its officiating of all games.

I think that is THE most single aggravating thing to players, coaches and fans...consistency.

 

Why is something interference one time, but not others......why is a hit clean one time, but charging on another....that sort of thing.

Mistakes will ALWAYS be made.

That I think, we can all accept.

 

If using tech helps in minimizing that, then sure, let's use it.

But WAY before any of that, if the league, refs, and linesmen would just get on the same freakin page (are they even on the same book sometimes!?) as far as calling games consistently, that in itself would go a long way to improving the quality of games.

[Podein25]

Constipated

[Commander Clueless]

Emaciated.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Ahhh...ok, I get it now....

 

errrrr, Inebriated?

[Podein25]

I know this will never happen, but they should get rid of one ref and one linesmen.  

 

Doing so equals a 16.7% decrease in skaters on the ice (i.e., not counting goalies), which by my mind means an increase of roughly 16.7% in available space. 

 

They are in the way. Literally. And while I acknowledge that they can sometimes serve as useful obstacles for picks and such, their overall contribution to the game skews more to the useless. 

 

The technology available today to make-up for the loss of the two zebras. Yes, there will be yes yelling at the TV, but it will be more focused yelling.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I know this will never happen, but they should get rid of one ref and one linesmen.  

 

Doing so equals a 16.7% decrease in skaters on the ice (i.e., not counting goalies), which by my mind means an increase of roughly 16.7% in available space. 

 

They are in the way. Literally. And while I acknowledge that they can sometimes serve as useful obstacles for picks and such, their overall contribution to the game skews more to the useless. 

 

The technology available today to make-up for the loss of the two zebras. Yes, there will be yes yelling at the TV, but it will be more focused yelling.

16.7% ??? Each referee (and linesman) takes up approximately 2 square feet of ice and, except for the occaisional time when they get in the way, they don't get in the way. They usually skate away from where the play is or where its going. I get what you're saying, but I think you're overstating the amount of space. They could drop one or the other and be fine, but not both. 1 Ref and 2 linesmen (the old 3 man system) or 2 refs and 1 linesman (NCAA uses this, I believe).

[nossagog]

Ice space, coaches replay, whatever.  It really doesn't matter.  The biggest problem the NHL has is the fact that it has a rulebook that defines what can and cannot be done while playing the game, and they refuse to enforce the rules, period.  

 

Its like politicians passing the 135 law on in regards to discrimination.    So what, if they enforce law number 135 the same way that they enforce laws 1 through 134, then nothing changes.  So what's the point.

 

Everyone complains about all the hooking, holding and interference in the games we are seeing this year.  Oh well, until the NHL head office tells the officials to enforce it, this is what we have. They know the rules.  Now why they actually call it sometimes, that's a different story.  If your team doesn't understand that, and doesn't take advantage of it, it your problem, get with the program.

 

Hits to the head?  Sure we got rules for that(well, we have them so that we can say that we're doing something about them because of the law suits), but we may or may not enforce those rules.   Quigster's two examples of Kromwall and Ovi are a perfect example of  simply ignoring the rules.   Just google for Ovie's or Kromwall's hits  If the Rules were enforced, and they can be post game with the whole Player Safety Department, how do they typically get away with it.  How many people have just these two players given concussions to, the same concussions the league wants to get rid of, without penalty let alone suspension. Heck, Ovi has ended one players career, don't think he got a penalty for that one. Simple put, the NHL doesn't seem to care.

 

Penalties at the end of a game,  WHOA, we don't want to affect the game as an official.   So we'll let you tackle and do about anything you want, because THAT's okay, THAT doesn't affect the game.

 

The answer to these things is simple.   Enforce the rules as they are written in the rule book, in minute one of game one to minute 60 of the SCF's, period.   If an official cannot do that, then find one who will.   Other leagues are doing what they can to protect players, and to make the game more exciting, the NHL does exactly the opposite.  All the rules are in place, use them.

[Podein25]

16.7% ??? Each referee (and linesman) takes up approximately 2 square feet of ice and, except for the occaisional time when they get in the way, they don't get in the way. They usually skate away from where the play is or where its going. I get what you're saying, but I think you're overstating the amount of space. They could drop one or the other and be fine, but not both. 1 Ref and 2 linesmen (the old 3 man system) or 2 refs and 1 linesman (NCAA uses this, I believe).

I never said math was my strong point! But two less bodies on the ice is two less bodies. That's not nothing. They take up room, all over the ice.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I never said math was my strong point!

I thought maybe it was the exchange rate! Lol

[blocker]

We want consistency in officiating.  That's lost when there are two  refs.  How many times have we seen an infraction called by the ref farthest away from the play.  The guy who's 10 feet away from the alleged foul doesn't blow his whistle, but the guy two zones behind the play decides to call something.   That always causes problems.

 

And,  we don't need extra bodies on an already crowded ice surface.

[WordsOfWisdom]

I know this will never happen, but they should get rid of one ref and one linesmen.  

 

Doing so equals a 16.7% decrease in skaters on the ice (i.e., not counting goalies), which by my mind means an increase of roughly 16.7% in available space. 

 

They are in the way. Literally.

 

Linesmen should be behind the glass, right at the blueline for each zone. The league could easily station someone there or use a camera to determine an offside. It's actually quite bizarre that the officials are on the field of play when they could be set up in a fashion similar to Tennis. 

[Podein25]

Linesmen should be behind the glass, right at the blueline for each zone. The league could easily station someone there or use a camera to determine an offside. It's actually quite bizarre that the officials are on the field of play when they could be set up in a fashion similar to Tennis.

YES!

You are the only person who has ever agreed with me on this. Most people have called me names.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Linesmen should be behind the glass, right at the blueline for each zone. The league could easily station someone there or use a camera to determine an offside. It's actually quite bizarre that the officials are on the field of play when they could be set up in a fashion similar to Tennis. 

 

 

YES!

You are the only person who has ever agreed with me on this. Most people have called me names.

 

 

 

 

     

[WordsOfWisdom]

YES!

You are the only person who has ever agreed with me on this. Most people have called me names.

 

LOL. 

 

Although since this change should have been made 100 years ago (or whenever goal judges were positioned in the stands behind the nets).

 

Now that we're in the video age of the game, linesmen should be replaced altogether with cameras positioned at the blue lines and players wearing GPS tracking devices in their jerseys. Using some simple computational logic (I'm available if anyone would like me to code it), a computerized system would be able to call the offsides in a hockey game automatically and a buzzer could go off whenever a violation occurs. I'd have said "big ass barcode scanner, zone counter, and RFID tags in jerseys", but I can do better than that.

 

I vote for this sound effect for the offside buzzer: