Olympics: American and Canadian refs when USA/CAN are playing

[wereq]

It's actually very simple, NHL (as always) wanted something from IIHF for their participating at the Olympics, so here we go - half of the refs are from NHL (no surprise there, Olympics before were the same)

There are 14 refs: 5x CAN, 2x USA, GER, CZE, 1x RUS, SWE, FIN
and 14 linesmen: 7x CAN, 3x USA, 1x BLR, GER, FIN, SVK

I don't believe that there isn't even 1 good ref in Slovakia or Switzerland or other participating nation.

If they actually think that it is ok to have CAN ref in CAN-FIN game I don't see why the other ref in that game wasn't from FIN.

 

[Starbuds]

Works both ways. Imagine if teh Fins were deserving of a whole bunch of penalties. The Canadian refs be reluctant to call them over fear of "biased" officiating.

 

[Zybalto]

How is it even possible to have a Canadian ref when Canada plays? It's a joke.

Teemu Selänne: "If it had been any other player than Sidney Crosby, it wouldnt have been a penalty."

He said that? Wow.

Sour grapes from Teemu when the refs swallowed their whistles for a TON of other Finnish penalties (Canadian ones too but Finland got away with murder a few times). Obvious pick on Crosby was obvious. The fact he got knocked down (or embelished) didn't take away from the fact the puck was nowhere near him when he took the hit.

If he's going to get that emotional to make whiny statements like that he should get himself in check before speaking after a game.

One example: If Benn was seriously hurt on that overtime hit, the Finnish defenceman would be gone from the tournament. As it stands, Canada won and Benn was OK so not even a penalty was called. Could you name a more dangerous hit you've seen recently in international play that didn't get called?

I liked the fact they let them play and no one should have been happier than Finland and, aside from the VERY dangerous hit on Benn, the officials did an OK job.

 

[hitmen19]

How is it even possible to have a Canadian ref when Canada plays? It's a joke.

Teemu Selänne: "If it had been any other player than Sidney Crosby, it wouldnt have been a penalty."

im sure you will provide evidence of him saying this. funny thing is , we all know you made that up, and selanne never said that. but why let facts get in the way

 

[Uno Bench]

The hockey is the best players in the world, the refs should be the best in the world as well. If they happen to be from Canada/USA or another country, who cares.

I agree, its easy though, when Canada is playing a Canadian ref and/or linesman shall not ref. When Sweden is playing a Swedish ref or linesman shouldnt be there.

If you want "all the best" in the olympics then Team Canada should be joined whit Canada 2 CAN3 and so on cause there is still som good players left in the NHL..this is not how it works and that argument is a fail. So there is no biggie if you leave som of "the best" refs behind in the NHL too, dont ya think

 

[Fergus]

Anyone using the "they are professional" argument clearly never saw any of the Canada/World Cups. Those were disgrace because of the biased reffing.

These professionals missed many clear penalties on both sides today but somehow Crosby diving was penalty against Finland.

Watch a professional at work!

 

[Jussi]

No need to bring that up again. 80's refereeing was much more loose, plus there was only one ref.

 

[QnebO]

Cmon fellow Finns, Crosby always draws penalties easier, lets deal with the World's best player that still is a crybaby- sort of player and not hit him too much if its not needed.

Other wise it was great effort by the refs, its ridiculous to blame anything on refs. I hope I would see that good referee work in my country. Letting the players play as it is meant to be played.

Think about, if modern refs were in back then, would you even be hockey fan? Im not so sure.. It's the fair toughness and battle what gets best ouf of the game and made me love to watch it as a kid.

 

[Fergus]

I think any question of bias can be thrown out the window after that board on Benn.

The hockey is the best players in the world, the refs should be the best in the world as well. If they happen to be from Canada/USA or another country, who cares.

How did the best refs in the world miss that clear boarding or Tavares slashing? At very least they were incompetent today if not biased.

 

[CalgaryFan1988]

I agree, its easy though, when Canada is playing a Canadian ref and/or linesman shall not ref. When Sweden is playing a Swedish ref or linesman shouldnt be there.

If you want "all the best" in the olympics then Team Canada should be joined whit Canada 2 CAN3 and so on cause there is still som good players left in the NHL..this is not how it works and that argument is a fail. So there is no biggie if you leave som of "the best" refs behind in the NHL too, dont ya think

The fact that Canada is only allowed to put one team in the tournament has no bearing on this discussion.

Figure skating and all kinds of judged sports are judged by judges from their own country. Olympics were organized to be fun, fair and be sportsmanlike. I haven't watched a hockey game this Olympics where I felt the ref decided an outcome.

If they change these rules for hockey, it should be changed for every sport, which isn't going to happen.

 

[CalgaryFan1988]

How did the best refs in the world miss that clear boarding or Tavares slashing? At very least they were incompetent today if not biased.

They let things go both ways, they were fair. They didn't decide the outcome of the game. Can't get much better than that IMO.

 

[HajdukSplit]

ridiculous in my opinion...hopefully FIFA doesn't get any ideas, even they won't do this

 

[CalgaryFan1988]

Anyone using the "they are professional" argument clearly never saw any of the Canada/World Cups. Those were disgrace because of the biased reffing.

These professionals missed many clear penalties on both sides today but somehow Crosby diving was penalty against Finland.

Watch a professional at work!

We are discussing hockey at the Olympics. Not a 25 year old tournament.

 

[Fergus]

They let things go both ways, they were fair. They didn't decide the outcome of the game. Can't get much better than that IMO.

Actually missed calls can decide the outcome just like weak calls.

 

[QnebO]

They let things go both ways, they were fair. They didn't decide the outcome of the game. Can't get much better than that IMO.

This excatly. The referees were great, and this line what they had the line, is the line that hockey is supposed to be played with. Modern line is wrong way to go, it's not entertaining. No wonder the arenas rarely hit full capacity. Hockey gets great atmospehre with professional, let them play -whistling.

 

[Uno Bench]

The fact that Canada is only allowed to put one team in the tournament has no bearing on this discussion.

Figure skating and all kinds of judged sports are judged by judges from their own country. Olympics were organized to be fun, fair and be sportsmanlike. I haven't watched a hockey game this Olympics where I felt the ref decided an outcome.

If they change these rules for hockey, it should be changed for every sport, which isn't going to happen.

Questionable argument. Most sports (like wrestling or soccer/fotball) when only one or two refs are head refs already have a ban of countrymen refereeing. Other sports where there are many refs judging they usally have a system that makes any bias or strange refereeing disappear by leaving out the most out of line refresult from the score

 

[QnebO]

Actually missed calls can decide the outcome just like weak calls.

No they can't, when you let it go both ways. You do non call one team X, then you make it up for doing non call for team Y at next situation. That is how hockey reffing works.

Finland also was given a PP, so it was 1-1 powerplays. Kontiola and he's line just miserable screwed most of the pp ("surprise").

 

[CalgaryFan1988]

Actually missed calls can decide the outcome just like weak calls.

Anyone who has ever played hockey always wants an evenly called game. If some are missed both ways, it's not deciding a game. Deciding a game is when calls go one way.

There is no such thing as a perfectly called game, the game is too fast for that.

 

[Canuck21t]

Funny how people keep the "they are professional" argument going.. They are professional indeed they are employed in America in the NHL, their employees are the same who invested alot of cash in team Canada or USA for example and not so much in Finland f.ex.

What if they have to make a troublesome decision aginst the US or CAN against some franchise player or countrymen will they lose their job in the NHL? This smells

No, that won't happen. NA won't fire a ref, that would ruin future NHL refs participation.

They could at least choose American refs whenever Canada is involved and Canadian refs with the USA. It's weird that they don't even try.

 

[admire]

ridiculous in my opinion...hopefully FIFA doesn't get any ideas, even they won't do this

Yeah, because that is totally the same thing

The worlds most popular game with professional leagues in all countries basically, millions of players world wide and SEVERAL big leagues.

As opposed to a far smaller sport with 1 big league, a few fairly big ones and a lot of small ones.

 

[Past Considerations]

Figure skating and all kinds of judged sports are judged by judges from their own country. Olympics were organized to be fun, fair and be sportsmanlike. I haven't watched a hockey game this Olympics where I felt the ref decided an outcome.

If they change these rules for hockey, it should be changed for every sport, which isn't going to happen.

How ironic because judging is also a pretty frequent subject of debate in figure skating and most judged sports generally (snowboarding & freestyle at least). Secondly, these contests have a lot more nations participating in it at the same time (reminder, a hockey has just two) so it is in practice a lot harder to avoid this "bias" unless the judges are always taken from Zimbabwe.

 

[Past Considerations]

im sure you will provide evidence of him saying this. funny thing is , we all know you made that up, and selanne never said that. but why let facts get in the way

It was the live interview right after the game. Just trust me. Not sure if it was 100% serious comment.

 

[Vaeltaja]

So far what i have seen from the games with joint NA refs i honestly have not been impressed. Roughly the same performance as with 'minor league refs'. I'm not saying that they would be much worse though - reffing in the NHL does not magically make NHL referees any better than other referees.

 

[CalgaryFan1988]

No, that won't happen. NA won't fire a ref, that would ruin future NHL refs participation.

They could at least choose American refs whenever Canada is involved and Canadian refs with the USA. It's weird that they don't even try.

Who is to say that an American refereeing a Canada/Switzerland game, when the winner plays the US, would be any more impartial than a Canadian ref? It works both ways.

 

[Corto]

TBH the biggest non-call of the tournament was Backes (at least I think it was Backes) pounding on a Russian prone on the ice yesterday in OT.

ESPECIALLY when you consider the US were just coming off a PP.

That, to me, was mind-boggling. Whole arena saw it, everyone was booing, but the refs missed it.