The Absurdity of Criticizing NHL Officials

[ASquared]

Are you one to give out harsh criticism to the way NHL games are officiated? Here's a look at why that type of outlook is a mistake.

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-absu...nhl-officials/

[Pengwin7]

Love this article!
Well done.

Criticizing officials never stops though.
Your team lost... didn't get a call... bad officiating.
Your team won... when the other team didn't get a call... well, your team deserved it obviously.

Refereeing is like +/-.
People like to bash it.
They identify one missed call and say "that had an impact on this one team".
Of course... but long run, it evens out.
The good calls & missed calls even out for all teams, and the best teams are still winning yes.
The game is still exciting yes.
It's got great flow, a hockey game.
(And for those that watch other sports... basketball, baseball, football... nothing, NOTHING beats watching an NHL game for flow & excitement. Perhaps biased, oh well. Best sport for flow.)

NHL referees are excellent.
People that criticize NHL referees often are typically fan-onlies that have never played hockey.
If you haven't played hockey growing up... (or watched a LOT of minor hockey)... then you have no way to separate or evaluate how GOOD the NHL Referees are.

Same case for Bettman.
Hop on the bus everybody... let's criticize Bettman.
Except that the NHL is at its best, most exciting, most wonderful experience in the history of the game (my opinion).
The game is well-covered, players are paid well, viewing experience at the arena and TV are incredible - but let's criticize Bettman.
Or... let's criticize the officials.
That's the real reason(s) why my team is not a Stanley Cup Champion and why I had a bad hockey experience one day.
Psh.


Good for you on writing this one.
NHL referees are solid... really, really good - and an incredible (uncredited) reason why the NHL game is so enjoyable to watch.

Big thumbs up from me.
A+++

[jcairns]

That was a great article. Thanks for sharing it - forwarded it to some friends too.

As someone that refereed minor hockey growing up, I can't help but agree with this article in every way. I've played competitive hockey and I've refereed, and I've seen both sides (as many of us on these forums have). The sickening part is how this abusive mentality actually permeates down to the lowest levels. It's sickening to see coaches and fans verbally abusing referees at the atom, peewee, and bantam level (under 15 years of age).

I've had to kick parents out of the arena before for verbally abusing another referee at a peewee game. PEEWEE! Less than 13 years old! I hate people.
(I know my rant about abusing refs isn't the exact same as criticising and blaming, but I think it's worth pointing out). Please don't ever be one of those parents.

[ASquared]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the positive feedback.

[mounD]

NHL referees are generally flagrantly underrated; however, I don't think I would go so far as to make the statement that they are ALWAYS good at performing their job. I try very hard not to be the guy who criticizes particular calls / non-calls, and then transition to "it lost my team the game," because that's rarely (if ever) the case in a given hockey game. That's the beauty of hockey: so many things are happening in a given moment, that sheer number of events that can drastically change a game is myriad. Complaining about officiating to the extent that you are blaming the officials for a particular outcome is STUPID.

But saying that the refs, in general, are not doing a good job of officiating a particular game / series / etc. is a totally legitimate point to make in certain circumstances. If the refs are allowing a game to get out of hand, for instance, it is completely OK to call out the refs for letting the game devolve into madness, depending of course on the circumstances of the game/series. Saying the refs are not doing a good job, in general and in specific instances is more than OK; however, when it serves to shift the blame for a loss, count me out. I've criticized NHL officials plenty of times, but I steer clear of making the "outcome-determinative" argument. That's just silliness.

Also, no one should EVER be saying that the entire body of work for NHL referees is anything but exemplary. These guys go out every game and get the overwhelming majority of the calls PERFECT in a fast-paced game, whizzing by at speeds that are unparalleled in professional sports. What they do is incredibly impressive, and most of the time they should be lauded for their work. It's too bad, really, that referees are the unsung heroes of the NHL.