‘Game management’ at the root of NHL’s officiating issues

[SnuggaRUDE]

Well players still get called for hooking, so I'm not really sure what you mean there. If players all adapted, no calls would ever be made.

Players usually commit infractions they either think they're likely to get away with, or are better than giving up A+ scoring chances. Headbutts are rare because they know they'll get called (and likely suspended). Tapping players in the gloves happens because it's rarely called unless the refs are looking to manage the game at that moment.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Players usually commit infractions they either think they're likely to get away with, or are better than giving up A+ scoring chances. Headbutts are rare because they know they'll get called (and likely suspended). Tapping players in the gloves happens because it's rarely called unless the refs are looking to manage the game at that moment.

Pretty sure most infractions are unintentional.

 

[Bank Shot]

Pretty sure most infractions are unintentional.

Tripping, high sticking, puck over glass, too many men are almost always unintentional.

A lot of the others like hooking, holding/holding the stick, crosschecking, roughing, boarding, interference, slashing are almost always intentional with the hope of getting away with it.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Tripping, high sticking, puck over glass, too many men are almost always unintentional.

A lot of the others like hooking, holding/holding the stick, crosschecking, roughing, boarding, interference, slashing are almost always intentional with the hope of getting away with it.

This, and the one intentional foul that gets ignored the most is interference. Refs have a complete blind spot about it- refs will game manage the other calls, which is unfortunate, but interference will just get ignored 9 times outta 10. Such a frustrating non call, if the dude goes outta his way then call it.

 

[TheNumber4]

Nice to finally have some data and some mainstream media attention on an issue every fan, coach, and player can see with their eyes . Officiating in this league is a god same joke.

I think the issue lies foundationally in the rule book itself. Subjectivity is written right into the book. A cross check is not simply the act of use your stick between two hands to check someone, it’s doing that but with “force”. How much force? No one knows unless you can read the minds and moods of your particular ref that night. It’s a complete joke.

 

[Il Stugotz]

 

[NYR94]

 

[FlaPanthers11]

This needs its own thread so more people see it. This wouldn’t be a small deal.

Came here to check for it after seeing it on Twitter.

 

[LastOne2100]

This needs its own thread so more people see it. This wouldn’t be a small deal.

Came here to check for it after seeing it on Twitter.

I'm surprised you think this is a big deal or some smoking gun. Literally anyone who has watched any amount of NHL games understands that this happens every single game. There is just no way the calls would work like this, be so even per game but so wild across games, be so perfectly timed, if it wasn't completely manufactured.

 

[FlaPanthers11]

I'm surprised you think this is a big deal or some smoking gun. Literally anyone who has watched any amount of NHL games understands that this happens every single game. There is just no way the calls would work like this, be so even per game but so wild across games, be so perfectly timed, if it wasn't completely manufactured.

Things become a bigger deal when said so explicitly. Real money is bet on this league. This ref will be suspended as the NHL tries to save face if there’s enough outrage (which it seems like there will be based on initial reaction).

 

[LastOne2100]

Things become a bigger deal when said so explicitly. Real money is bet on this league. This ref will be suspended as the NHL tries to save face if there’s enough outrage (which it seems like there will be based on initial reaction).

Doubt it. It'll be completely ignored like all the other embarrassing displays of officiating.

If anything the NHL will punish the crew that left the mic on too long.

 

[PromisedLand]

Lets see if NHL has the BALLS to discipline this pos ref and fire his ass never allowed to ref another NHL game in his entire life

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[zypher]

I'm surprised you think this is a big deal or some smoking gun. Literally anyone who has watched any amount of NHL games understands that this happens every single game. There is just no way the calls would work like this, be so even per game but so wild across games, be so perfectly timed, if it wasn't completely manufactured.

There's a wide chasm between "everyone knows it's happening" and "blatant, obvious proof of it happening".

 

[LastOne2100]

There's a wide chasm between "everyone knows it's happening" and "blatant, obvious proof of it happening".

One individual making a bad micced up comment is less proof of a league wide issue than the statistics themselves.

Even if the league responds (they won't), they'll chalk it up to one ref and move on.

 

[BlackDogg]

Its pretty obvious just watching the games, that game management is happening.

I think the NHL just needs to be consistent.

If its a penalty, call it. Who cares if its preseason, regular season, playoffs, late in the third, overtime etc. There will always be issues with reffing, but if they were consistent, I think it would improve and clean up the game immensely. We can sit here and blame individual refs, but I do think they are given directions from the league on how to ref, which is a major part of the problem.

I think you can be consistent in calls within a game, even if you "let them play" more in the playoffs . The trying to balance and offset and reward the trailing team is bullshit.

 

[North Cole]

Lets see if NHL has the BALLS to discipline this pos ref and fire his ass never allowed to ref another NHL game in his entire life

He might be suspended for airing the dirty laundry. I'd be awfully surprised if he got fired for something the NHL is otherwise complicit in.

 

[IPS]

If they do the "game management" BS with their phantom hooking and tripping etc.. whatever.

However, make the f***ing calls that have to do with protecting players. Too many games around the league where slewfoots, charges from behind, and other wreckless crap goes uncalled in the name of "game management".

 

[tarheelhockey]

One individual making a bad micced up comment is less proof of a league wide issue than the statistics themselves.

Even if the league responds (they won't), they'll chalk it up to one ref and move on.

The last time Tim Peel publicly admitted to doing this, the league suspended him.

I seriously doubt they just pretend this didn't happen for the second time, to the same guy.

 

[cbcwpg]

NHL says referee Tim Peel will no longer work games after hot mic incident

First rule about managing games is don't talk about managing games on an open mic.

 

[Gamimenos]

This is probably the most "true" thread I've seen on here.

I wonder what officials fans of each team do not want to see officiate their games. There is game management mandated by the league, and there is also natural bias I believe whether against certain players or teams.

Yes to all of the above. Like I've mentioned before, the league has acted in such a manner that referees are not held accountable to actions on the ice. It's only natural then for referees to officiate the game however they wish. To top this, the league has no problem throwing fines, and squashing any talk of bad officiating from coaches and GMs.

 

[txpd]

Game management comes with specific directions and comes from the league to the referees. Its not something the referees are doing. Someone posted a chart that I dug into a bit. Since 1996-97 the Capitals are 2nd in times short handed per game and 28th in power play opportunities per game. Only 2 seasons with more pp's than pk's. Yet the Caps have one of the best records in the league and rank 5th in power play goals per game.

What does that look like? From a game management perspective the Caps are ahead a lot and dont need a pp to get back in the game. They dont need a lot of pp's to score one. It has game management written all over it

 

[BagHead]

I'm not sure people would actually be ok with this system being corrected. That is to say, for each penalty that is noticed by the refs to actually be called by the refs. People complained like crazy that the game was getting chopped up during the 05-06 season, when refs were calling significantly more penalties than they had in years. Besides that, it would require a huge adjustment from the players themselves, who've grown accustomed to being able to get away with infractions most of the time they commit them.

I want people to be aware that the real question may be "do you want to watch a fun and free flowing but managed game, or do you want to watch a choppy and fairly called game? Also your team played kinda dirty so you were on the PK for 20 minutes."

 

[Rysto]

I want people to be aware that the real question may be "do you want to watch a fun and free flowing but managed game, or do you want to watch a choppy and fairly called game? Also your team played kinda dirty so you were on the PK for 20 minutes."

If the refs don't call penalties consistently you don't get a fun and free-flowing game. You get the schlock we got in the late 90s and early 2000s as teams realized that you could win by deliberately committing penalties that the refs won't call.

 

[DickSmehlik]