Officiating

[Flames&HitmenAddict]

I was under the impression that there was suppose to be a "rule crackdown" in the WHL this year . . .

So far I've found the officiating TERRIBLE . . .I think we need to go to a 4 official system.

Anyone else notice terrible officiating in their games?

[Tipped Off]

Penalties are UP, Scoring is UP, Excitement is UP...I think bringing in a 4th official at this point will only screw things up. I actually think the officiating has been somewhat ok this year. Are there penalties that get missed by not having a 4 man system, sure. But I really don't want the game to slow down more with more whistles.

[TGT]

I was under the impression that there was suppose to be a "rule crackdown" in the WHL this year . . .

So far I've found the officiating TERRIBLE . . .I think we need to go to a 4 official system.

Anyone else notice terrible officiating in their games?

This article from the Seattle Times pretty much sums it up.......

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=silvertips19n&date=20051019&query=kevin+constantine

"Misconception" is the rule

By Jim Riley

Special to The Seattle Times

Under the Helmet

With all the rule changes in hockey this season, you'd have to wear stripes and skates and toot on a whistle for a living to keep up with them.

One common misconception is that the Western Hockey League (WHL) has cracked down on restraining fouls this season and that's why there has been an increase in penalties and power plays.

Kevin Constantine, the Everett Silvertips' head coach and director of hockey operations, said calling more obstruction fouls is one area where the WHL hasn't changed a thing.

"It's a massive misconception," Constantine said.

"Because everyone has heard that the NHL [National Hockey League] has gone to a much stricter rule interpretation about obstruction, most people think that our league has followed suit. That's simply not true at all. We are using the same standard as before."

Kevin Muench, the WHL's director of officiating, said that though Constantine is right, that doesn't mean the way things are called in the WHL is much different from the NHL.

"By maintaining what we were doing, we're very similar to the NHL," Muench said. "It wouldn't be right to say we're not following NHL guidelines. We already had a good, disciplined standard, and we still have a focus on those kind of fouls."

What's new


The Western Hockey League's rule changes this season include a ban on substitutions after icing, a delay-of-game penalty if the puck is shot over the boards, a penalty if goalies glove the puck outside the crease area, the elimination of the red line to allow longer passes and the institution of shootouts to eliminate tie games.
Constantine, who has a reputation as a coach who wins through tough defense, said he would like to see defensive players restricted even more.

"There should be a tighter standard on all obstruction calls," Constantine said. "That's just my thought, not a criticism on the league. I'm a guy who believes the league rule book should be interpreted strictly."

The WHL prides itself on being the premier developmental league for the NHL, and Muench said it's important that the rules be followed as closely as possible.

"To expect the WHL to have the identical standard as the NHL is not overly realistic because they have two referees and we have one," Muench said. "But we want to be as similar as possible."

Muench said the WHL has considered going to two referees but that the pool of officials is not deep enough.

As for the increase in penalties, Constantine said that's a result of other new rules.

"My guess is that the increase in the number of power plays and penalty-kill situations is because of the new penalties for shooting the puck over the glass, changing lines after icing and goalies freezing the puck," Constantine said. "The way obstruction is being called hasn't changed at all."

Muench is philosophical about the reactions to the rule changes.

"You can't go through any kind of change without there being some debate," Muench said. "As things have evolved through the exhibition season and the regular season, there is a growing acceptance for everything that has happened."

Coach: Foes getting too many good shots

One of Constantine's biggest concerns about his team early this season is the number of scoring chances being allowed.

Though Everett does feature players who are more gifted offensively this season, the increase in the number of quality scoring chances has resulted in more good chances at the other end of the ice.

"There's a way to get good scoring chances without giving them up, and we haven't done that yet," Constantine said.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

I was at the Chiefs game at Portland last weekend, and I can't remeber who the ref was, but that was the worst officiated game I have seen in over a year. It was absolutely brutal watching that guy call the game. However, the other games I have been to this year were fairly well officiated, at least by WHL standards. It's also my opinion that the 4 ref system would improve the game. There wouldn't be that many more whistles and it would increase the number of powerplays by cutting down on the many non-calls that one set of eyes will inherently miss every game.

I agree that the refs have been terrible and getting rid of obstruction, just as I figured they would be. Nothing against the refs, it's just if they couldn't get rid of obstruction before, what reason is there for believing they will now?

[Brad]

Officiating in this league continues to be the one thing holding the WHL product back from being truly great. You have the passion, you have the talent, but the lack of consistent and quality officials is always a sore spot. Players have no idea from game to game, period to period or even shift to shift what is and isn't a penalty. 90% of the referees are too wound up in their own egos to realize they are there to call the game, not control it.

[chiefgongshow]

All the other leagues are calling obstruction, thus preparing players to move up in the ranks of hockey without having to adjust to the strict rules reguarding stickwork and all that junk. The OHL has been using a 2 ref system for some games mainly with the top teams in their league. Last night in the Birds-Ams game they had a ref from the "Q" and he called the obstruction all game long, fans and im sure the teams werent happy for the amount of calls but thats the standard the other leagues are going by. If anything be mad at the Dub for not keeping up with the standard they were using in the preseason. Any team from the Dub is going to be in for a long nite come Memorial Cup time unless they get a ref from the WHL, as it will be trip after trip to the box. Big mistake by the league not to keep the standards up, its going to hurt player development and I feel itll just make the WHL look bad come Mem Cup time. Just my thoughts though

[Fight Guy]

I dont want to go on another rant...so Ill just post what I had posted in the Giants forum ealier stating my displeasure with the "rule crackdown".

"The Kalus hit was bad...but when isnt a chek from behind bad? I dont know how the hell Lamb didnt get the same treatment. It was directly infront of me, and it was a clear check from behind sending Lind's face into the top of the boards. I do belive it was called a check from behind in the building...but 2 minutes? I feel all check from behinds should be called majors. You cant say one was worse than the other. The ref missed alot of crap during the game. The Giants costantly held and interfered with players behind AND in front of the play, and nothing was called ever. I dont know what the hell happened to the crack down on obstruction. There is less getting called than there was last season. Less and less is getting called every game. And im still trying to figure out what happened to calling goalies for delay of game if the cover the puck out of the crease or if there is no one around, and not just getting blown dead. I really do think it should be looked into because the only rules that seem to be standing are ones that involve lines on the ice."

That pretty much states my opinion.

[Jimmypop316]

Overall I think the officiating is bad. It makes it even worse when you watch NHL games and see amazing officiating where every single hook, hold, interference is called. The WHL doesnt have a "obstruction" crackdown but they are supposedly having a crackdown on hooks, hold, etc everything else. So pretty much an obstruction crackdown without saying an obstruction crackdown. Personally I think its been god awful this year except for the game between Portland and Spokane sunday night.

http://whl.ca/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1001270

Look at that. It was Lemelin's first game as an official, and he officiated an amazing game. You can question the last 5 minutes of the game, especially if youre a winterhawk fan, but he officiated an NHL calibre game. Hell.. he even called a diving penalty. If anyone has Lemelin as a ref, you will be impressed because he is amazing. I think the other refs should take a page out of his book.

[Tinner]

for the most part, not saying it has been good or bad, I think they have reverted right back to the same reffing as last year. It started out as being called to the new standards set by the league, but lately the same old stuff is not being called consistantly.

Case in point, watch a NHL game and when the cameras allow, watch what goes on in front of the net and compare it to a WHL reffed game.

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

The officiating in some of the Saskatoon Blades games has been very questionable and at some times very bad. 1 example was at the Game Verses the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday and there was some obvious non calls that should have been called. I know that every penalty can not always be called, but the obvious ones should be called.