As I was watching, the officials picked up the phone at the scorer's table briefly at the time. There was little or no conversation. I do wonder whether they could have called Toronto for a clarification.
I read the ref CBA and understand that they can release 4 officials per year of the 34 linesman and 33 refs that the union may protect. The CBA has three levels of tenure. An official with under 6 years can be released almost at will and usually at the end of the season. Up to 16 years, the benchmark is for an official not to be selected to the playoffs for two consecutive years in which case his overall performance will be reviewed where a release may ensue. After 16 years, my understanding is that it is basically when the ref is has undergone material physical decline. There is a section dealing with helping refs to transition to other work after they are done with the NHL.
Not only do the refs go through a two week camp, they also have midseason refreshers.
I cannot imagine how difficult it is at this point for the refs in that they have been asked to raise the level of enforcement. There have been complaints for non-calls, but the outcry over mistaken calls is far greater and with pressure from above to call more, they will make more mistaken calls than in the past. The new enforcement levels have just made the refs even more of a target.
I read the ref CBA and understand that they can release 4 officials per year of the 34 linesman and 33 refs that the union may protect. The CBA has three levels of tenure. An official with under 6 years can be released almost at will and usually at the end of the season. Up to 16 years, the benchmark is for an official not to be selected to the playoffs for two consecutive years in which case his overall performance will be reviewed where a release may ensue. After 16 years, my understanding is that it is basically when the ref is has undergone material physical decline. There is a section dealing with helping refs to transition to other work after they are done with the NHL.
Not only do the refs go through a two week camp, they also have midseason refreshers.
I cannot imagine how difficult it is at this point for the refs in that they have been asked to raise the level of enforcement. There have been complaints for non-calls, but the outcry over mistaken calls is far greater and with pressure from above to call more, they will make more mistaken calls than in the past. The new enforcement levels have just made the refs even more of a target.