Hitchcock vents on McDavid not getting calls

[OilerMcLord]

https://www.tsn.ca/hitchcock-vents-on-mcdavid-not-getting-calls-1.1227621

It's about time...

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[oobga]

Blasphemy!

Thought we are supposed to just smile and take it up the rear and hope one day we get rewarded by the refs for being so nice. I think McLellan's strategy was just about to pay off, but Hitch ruined it!

 

[Jumptheshark]

10k fine in coming

 

[Boom not bust]

Good for Hitch, McDavid has got shortchanged on calls his whole career so far it was past time for someone to say it in the media.

 

[bone]

10k fine in coming

I don't think so, he kept it as diplomatic as possible. Didn't criticize calls or call out a specific incident, he just drew attention to the general trend of away from the puck obstruction that McDavid receives.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

That McDavid has only drawn 10 penalties is a farce. With all the interference, holding and slashing he regularly deals with that number could be over 30 and it still would only account for a quarter of the infractions that should/could have been called.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

"It's a disservice to a player like him". Not only him, the entire NHL.
He's the best and most electrifying player in the league (maybe most exciting player in NHL history). To let opposing players literally break the rules and allow them to neutralize McDavid's speed away from the puck, just because he's on a different level than everyone else, sends the wrong message to the entire league and impedes the ability to grow the game. In the last 15 years they have changed the game immensely, aiming for speed, continuous play and excitement, and there is no better player to lead the way than Connor McDavid.

The refs sometimes act like they think they are the Police. They demand respect and if you disrepect them, even when they are in the wrong, they'll punish you.
The word is one of those refs last night, was still sour at McDavid for mocking him last season about the video review. And now he refuses to do his job, just because he's salty at him for that one moment. The thing is, they are not the Police of the ice, they are the referees, and their only job is to enforce the rules, that's it. Players shouldn't have to kiss their ass just to get on their good side. It should be completely emotionless and consistent. A spade is a spade, and a penalty is a penalty. There should be penalties for the referees too, if they fail to do their job correctly.

I love that Hitch is taking them on in public, something has to be done about it. But knowing the egotistical ways of the zebras, this will probably hurt us, at least for the next couple games.

 

[Fmrnuckfan95]

NHL will fine Hitchcock and nothing will happen to the ref

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

The league is incapable of marketing its superstars, purposefully neuters offense and refuses to hold its officials accountable.

If I were McDavid, I would call out the officiating on a constant basis and refuse to do any PR or league related events until they start calling the game fairly and acknowledging the abuse he suffers away from the play.

He is eventually going to get injured with the tactics defenders are using against him. It's beyond the point of ridiculousness.

 

[soothsayer]

Shamelessly quoting myself:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the refs can't stand that there's a player in the NHL like Connor McDavid who can control the game to such a large degree. Kerry Fraser once said on Jason Gregor's show, in earnest, that "the refs want the players to know the game is going to be played on our (the refs) terms." Not the terms of the rule book, but the terms of the ref. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about these guys. But if you do start to look a little closer, you'll clearly see that the officiating of the game is informed more by ego fulfillment than it is the interpretation and application of rules.

 

[Stoneman89]

McDavid has never had any of his coaches or management at this level ever step up and go to bat for him over this crap, so it's welcome and long overdue. One of the grips I had about TM was he never seemed to go after the officials for abuse to any of his guys. Hitch is here not even a month and he's just done what his GM and/or coach should have done 3 years ago, Yes, he will get fined, but there should be some residual effects take root after this. The NHL has some great players, but McDavid is the marquee talent, and I think some ears will perk up and take notice, especially when a respected voice in the coaching fraternity speaks up. Randy Carlyle has been playing this card for years, and with great success.

 

[Aerrol]

I'm so happy we finally have someone saying this. Who knows, it might work. The refs eased up on the Flames after they called them out.

 

[Mez]

If there is anything that would potentially discourage me from watching the Oilers and the NHL in general....its trash tier reffing. Its getting so bad. When is enough enough?

 

[subnet]

If Hitch is going to get fined for these comments, it's B.S. If that's the case, he might as well have just totally unleashed at them, and really called them out.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

It's pretty ridiculous that the best/most dangerous player in the league has only drawn 10 penalties.

Just a lot of good veteran plays happening out there I suppose.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

NHL will fine Hitchcock and nothing will happen to the ref

Correction.

Hitchcock will get a fine. The refs, being spiteful morons will make even less calls for McDavid, as they have no spines. This happens like clockwork.

I went to my first Roughneck game this weekend, and seeing how the announcer is open to mock the refs the entire game and their calls was so refreshing. There's absolutely nothing to regulate the refs in this league, and it's a huge issue. And don't come at me talking about getting to ref in the play-offs or Stanley Cup finals. Oh no, they get a longer break for summer. Boo hoo.

 

[North]

McDavid has never had any of his coaches or management at this level ever step up and go to bat for him over this crap, so it's welcome and long overdue. One of the grips I had about TM was he never seemed to go after the officials for abuse to any of his guys. Hitch is here not even a month and he's just done what his GM and/or coach should have done 3 years ago, Yes, he will get fined, but there should be some residual effects take root after this. The NHL has some great players, but McDavid is the marquee talent, and I think some ears will perk up and take notice, especially when a respected voice in the coaching fraternity speaks up. Randy Carlyle has been playing this card for years, and with great success.

McLellan basically said Connor had to figure out how to play through it.

 

[Stoneman89]

McLellan basically said Connor had to figure out how to play through it.

Which is one of the reasons he is not coaching this team anymore.

 

[McFlash97]

people pay big money to watch professional teams play. They pay through the roof to come watch guys like McDavid do his thing. The refs have decided that they will go out of their way to make sure 97 doesn't tear this league apart. Therefore the non calls and ignorant refereeing are tucked away in a corner like it isn't happening. Until a professional league acts professionally and reprimand blatant missed calls these things will continue to happen.

It starts with the coach first. Hitchcock did his thing. Lets see what happens next

 

[T-Funk]

I thought Hitchcock might say something after that game. That was close to the worst reffed game (regular season) I've seen with regards to McDavid.

There's a lot of trolls out there right now just eating this stuff up as simple whining, but Im sure I speak for most fans who just want it called fairly. If the standard is going to be clutch and grab and impede again, then I want kassian and khaira to have free reign to do it without being called instantly.

Also, the whole "can't call everything" garbage is stupid. Players will stop breaking the rules if you enforce them consistently.

 

[PeakMcOil]

It seems like the average NHLer will have penalties called against them maybe 4/10 times. This threshold makes it frustrating and confusing as to what is and isn't a penalty. With McDavid it is more like 1/10 penalties gets called. 10 penalties drawn this year, it should actually be multiple calls a game. I have never seen so much blatant interference, hooking, slashing, holding etc on one player.

NHL reffing is truly killing this sport. I used to watch as much hockey as feasible, would tune in to random games and just consumed a lot of NHL. No more. I barely watch anything besides Oilers games anymore and the NBA has filled all that old NHL time. A lot of people bash the NBA's reffing but it is light years ahead of the NHL. Rarely do you see the refs impacting the game the way they do almost nightly in the NHL.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Just had a look through some of the Edmonton MSM twitter profiles...not one mention of a fine yet from any of them. Seeing it's 2:30 in the East, you'd think something would be heard by now.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The league is incapable of marketing its superstars, purposefully neuters offense and refuses to hold its officials accountable.

If I were McDavid, I would call out the officiating on a constant basis and refuse to do any PR or league related events until they start calling the game fairly and acknowledging the abuse he suffers away from the play.

He is eventually going to get injured with the tactics defenders are using against him. It's beyond the point of ridiculousness.

Neuters offence? Scoring is unprecedented this season, the highest its been in decades. By no means is this the dead puck era. Try doing what Doug Weight and Ryan Smyth and Bill Guerin were able to do against the dirtiest hacking I've ever seen. I'll say it too, the dirtiest team since the Broadstreet Bullies were the Hitchcock coached Dallas Stars. With Derian Hatcher crosschecking you any time he's in range and getting away with it.

I know we're supposed to rah rah everything the org does but Hitch complaining about infractions is a bit odd.

Did many people here watch the dead puck era Dallas Stars in the 90's? I wonder if the NHL will remind him that hacking, high sticking, hooking, holding cross checking were COACHED in Dallas as a game winning strategy.

I mean if we're being honest here we have a good old fashioned Western Canada head coach that made a career out of some rough and tumble tactics and holding. He loved players to stop opponents anyway they could. Now he hates that?

flame away I guess

 

[T-Funk]

So Hitch is not allowed to bring up poor reffing because he had some dirty teams 25 years ago?

 

[Stoneman89]

Neuters offence? Scoring is unprecedented this season, the highest its been in decades. By no means is this the dead puck era. Try doing what Doug Weight and Ryan Smyth and Bill Guerin were able to do against the dirtiest hacking I've ever seen. I'll say it too, the dirtiest team since the Broadstreet Bullies were the Hitchcock coached Dallas Stars. With Derian Hatcher crosschecking you any time he's in range and getting away with it.

I know we're supposed to rah rah everything the org does but Hitch complaining about infractions is a bit odd.

Did many people here watch the dead puck era Dallas Stars in the 90's? I wonder if the NHL will remind him that hacking, high sticking, hooking, holding cross checking were COACHED in Dallas as a game winning strategy.

I mean if we're being honest here we have a good old fashioned Western Canada head coach that made a career out of some rough and tumble tactics and holding. He loved players to stop opponents anyway they could. Now he hates that?

flame away I guess

Not sure where you've been the last decade or two, but the game has changed a bit regarding the way it's played and the rules and their application. And Hitch is smart enough to recognize that.