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Referees get attention for the wrong reasons

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Referees get attention for the wrong reasons

So far, the playoffs are offering some very good field hockey. We’ve seen some pretty intense games, and you know as well as I do that that’s the beauty of the spring tournament. However, there’s one thing that’s caught our attention since the start of the playoffs, and that’s the way the referees have been behaving. In fact, there have been several decisions made by the zebra men that (still) leave something to be desired. Leon Draisaitl, John Tavares and Marcus Foligno (to name but a few) have openly complained about the referees’ work of late. The general feeling is that players don’t know which way to turn at the moment, because they’ve lost touch with NHL standards. Foligno recently referred to the referees’ performance as a “joke” to vent his frustration.

As for Draisaitl, he gave a rather scathing speech after Game 3 of the series between the Oilers and Kings. He didn’t hold back before saying whatwas on his mind… And his frustration was visibly palpable. We know that in the heat of the moment, everything happens very quickly. But… it’s a bit strange to see that in the playoffs, it’s often the same thing that happens. Do guys expect referees to be more lenient in the playoffs? Is it, on the contrary, the referees who want to be tougher on the ice? This is a problem for the NHL, and there doesn’t seem to be any obvious solution. Some would like to see the referees in question punished for their bad decisions, others feel that the league should sit down with its zebras at the start of the playoffs to go over the rules again… It’s just a matter of finding a way to suit everyone. With this in mind, Rod Brind’Amour would like to see two referees on the ice and two more off the ice to help make the right decisions. I’ll let you listen to his comments before continuing.

It’s far from crazy. By doing so, the group of four referees would have a way of having eyes directly on the action, but also on the cameras to get a better view of the game.

This would encourage the video referees (let’s call them that) to see things that the referees on the ice haven’t seen with all the camera angles available with today’s technology, and this, in one way or another, could limit errors. Obviously, this is a project that wouldn’t get underway tomorrow morning. But, if Gary Bettman and the NHL get their noses into it, maybe the idea could be implemented at the start of next season. And, maybe the outcome of some games will take a different turn with this kind of change. That’s what the players want, in the end.


Heads

up – Jets set the table for Game four of their series against the Golden Knights.

– The Oilers needed it.

– He’s having a good series so far.

– Mathieu Choinière is part of the MLS IX of the week.

– Looks promising.

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