Scout
04-19-2006, 09:19 PM
Commissioner Gary Bettman says officials who don't call penalties as
warranted during the NHL playoffs will soon find themselves watching
the post-season from the sidelines.
That message has been made clear to Colin Campbell, senior executive
vice-president of hockey operations, and Stephen Walkom, director of
officiating, he said on a conference call Wednesday.
"My instructions to Colie and to Stephen are if an official puts his
whistle away, they should put the official away for the rest of the
playoffs," Bettman said.
"How long you work in the playoffs is discretionary. It depends how
well you are working. And if a guy decides he's putting the whistle
away, then he's done."
Added Walkom: "If they see a foul in the game, I full expect they'll
react to it."
Walkom said the league has scheduled a meeting for Thursday with
officials overseeing each playoff series. That will be followed with
a conference call Friday with the on-ice personnel.
"The instructions to the referees . . . are identical to that of the
regular season," he said.
"We just want them to go out there and call the game the way they
called it in the regular season and recognize that when they do
they'll be supported," he added.
Campbell said the league is committed to the new rules, because it
spent months during the lockout studying what was needed to free up
the game.
"Fans needed to be entertained and our game wasn't that entertaining
because coaches were good. Coaches knew how to instil left-wing
locks, traps _ and combined with holding and hooking and pushing the
envelope as far as you could . . . coaches knew what you could get
away with."
In 2003-04, teams rarely blew leads going into the third period
because they could batten down the hatches and shut down the
opposing team, he said.
Compare that to the current NHL landscape, he added.
"Now fans don't have to leave the game at the end of the second
period, saying `well we know what the outcome's going be."'
Campbell also reminded reporters the new NHL involves more than new
rules _ it features enforcement of old rules.
"The referees had to learn, as well as the players had to learn," he
said.
Bettman said the fact the league is calling more penalties should
not be seen as a problem.
"That was the solution to opening up the game," Bettman said. "If
the officials aren't adhering to the standards, then the game clogs
up."
"There's no quota, but you've got to call it when you see it,
otherwise the players will adjust and they will do whatever the
officials will permit them to do on the ice," he added. "And that
will be to neutralize skills if given the chance."
Bettman said there were almost 13,000 fewer stoppages this season
than in 2003-04 as a result of rule changes involving the "tag-up"
offside, elimination of two-line pass and waving off of potential
icings. Plus stick fouls were down 30 per cent, the lowest level in
35 years.
warranted during the NHL playoffs will soon find themselves watching
the post-season from the sidelines.
That message has been made clear to Colin Campbell, senior executive
vice-president of hockey operations, and Stephen Walkom, director of
officiating, he said on a conference call Wednesday.
"My instructions to Colie and to Stephen are if an official puts his
whistle away, they should put the official away for the rest of the
playoffs," Bettman said.
"How long you work in the playoffs is discretionary. It depends how
well you are working. And if a guy decides he's putting the whistle
away, then he's done."
Added Walkom: "If they see a foul in the game, I full expect they'll
react to it."
Walkom said the league has scheduled a meeting for Thursday with
officials overseeing each playoff series. That will be followed with
a conference call Friday with the on-ice personnel.
"The instructions to the referees . . . are identical to that of the
regular season," he said.
"We just want them to go out there and call the game the way they
called it in the regular season and recognize that when they do
they'll be supported," he added.
Campbell said the league is committed to the new rules, because it
spent months during the lockout studying what was needed to free up
the game.
"Fans needed to be entertained and our game wasn't that entertaining
because coaches were good. Coaches knew how to instil left-wing
locks, traps _ and combined with holding and hooking and pushing the
envelope as far as you could . . . coaches knew what you could get
away with."
In 2003-04, teams rarely blew leads going into the third period
because they could batten down the hatches and shut down the
opposing team, he said.
Compare that to the current NHL landscape, he added.
"Now fans don't have to leave the game at the end of the second
period, saying `well we know what the outcome's going be."'
Campbell also reminded reporters the new NHL involves more than new
rules _ it features enforcement of old rules.
"The referees had to learn, as well as the players had to learn," he
said.
Bettman said the fact the league is calling more penalties should
not be seen as a problem.
"That was the solution to opening up the game," Bettman said. "If
the officials aren't adhering to the standards, then the game clogs
up."
"There's no quota, but you've got to call it when you see it,
otherwise the players will adjust and they will do whatever the
officials will permit them to do on the ice," he added. "And that
will be to neutralize skills if given the chance."
Bettman said there were almost 13,000 fewer stoppages this season
than in 2003-04 as a result of rule changes involving the "tag-up"
offside, elimination of two-line pass and waving off of potential
icings. Plus stick fouls were down 30 per cent, the lowest level in
35 years.