Savage Referree Report

[Swando]

Is there nothing that we could do as the most avid fans of the WHL? A thread went out a few months/weeks (can't remember) but it was a WHL questionaire asking to rate the Refs and I thot...okay here is my chance to bad mouth Savage. Well I was beat to the punch by almost everyone that had read this post. So in saying this........................ Can we not find an e-mail address somewhere in the WHL office that our complaints may NOT fall on deaf ears?
"My reasoning is this" If I was a new fan that was invited out to the game between the Giants and the SC Broncos I probably would not want to spend a another dime watching this type of game.! It was totally controlled by the refs..in particular SAVAGE. Any game that I have watched him referree has been a terrible game to watch as HE ruins it. I think I speak for all WHL fans. I felt sorry for the Broncos tonight whom I thot got jobbed on a lot of calls.. saying this means I am not a homer in regards to Savage
The Dub wants to increase attendance.. it ain't going to happen with the likes of Savage in my opinion.

[Toswammi]

Yeah this guy is brutal. What is he a rock star? Does he need all this attention? I was listening to some of the game, and Bronco PBP guy, Jon Keen sounded like he was going to have a melt down in the broadcast booth.

[GF71]

Savage totally ruined the game. No Flow what so ever. Here's to hoping we don't see this menace for a long time.

[Swando]

Yeah this guy is brutal. What is he a rock star? Does he need all this attention? I was listening to some of the game, and Bronco PBP guy, Jon Keen sounded like he was going to have a melt down in the broadcast booth.
In the Worst WHL ref questionaire I placed him # 1 saying he reffed the Canada / Russia 1st exhibition game and totally frustrated the Russians ---I think the WHL knew who to ref the game !!!!!!!!

[dondo]

yup read my recap -- I also I do not think that Raphael is blameless here -- he was one of the worst refs in the Everett pre-season tourney and games seriously got out of hand when he was manning them, but Savage .... :burningma

[Swando]

So What Can We Do?

[Kassian]

Savage is the worst ref in the league hands down. The only other guy that comes close to him is Rehman, IMO. Savage has always been horrible, so I wasn't too surprised with the result tonight.

[dondo]

don't really think there's anything we can do swando.. its just a throw of the dice which official we get -- hopefully when there are two it'll balance out, unless both of them suck (like tonight) then its just a matter of throwing your hands up -- we all know there will be nights like tonight while everyone (refs included even crappy ones) learn how to call these games.

the real problem for me were the additional what I call "whining at the ref penalty" - when a player calls a ref on a horrific call then the ref just gives them two more for being insolent, generic misconduct penalty (this is a penalty that should be stricken from the books imo)

hese are going to be the growing pains -- I mean you can lodge a complaint with the league but I don't think it'll go anywhere but then if you don't then you never really know. they are supposed to have self-monitoring systems in place and you hope that they catch those officials that clearly have no clue what the rule book actually says, but then they named Rehman the official of the year last year and that was simply wrong as he is entirely inconsistent throughout the game and that's the wrong message to send to the players and the fans.

[Swando]

Good reply Dondo.. case in point. How many bench minors have we seen Giants get for unsportsman like conduct? First tonight for me...who was the ref Savage? Good for Hay in the post game interview he avoided any ref comments!

[GF71]

Good reply Dondo.. case in point. How many bench minors have we seen Giants get for unsportsman like conduct? First tonight for me...who was the ref Savage? Good for Hay in the post game interview he avoided any ref comments!

99% of the time those are for Hay beaking the ref. He has quite the potty mouth when he gets excited. ;)

[Swando]

Hays sticks up for the young players as a rule ( from what I read into his post game interviews) I think that he supported Regner or Boumas attempt on an open ice hit. It was his way of supporting a young players attempt at a good hit. From our advantage point I think the SC player raised his elbow at the last minute and that's why Hay was upset.

[Hunt24]

the real problem for me were the additional what I call "whining at the ref penalty" - when a player calls a ref on a horrific call then the ref just gives them two more for being insolent, generic misconduct penalty (this is a penalty that should be stricken from the books imo)


These calls are at the referee's discretion, but there is an unwritten code to follow for them.

1. Don't get personal. "That call was one of the worst I've seen". That's acceptable. "You're one of the worst refs I've ever seen." That gets two minutes and rightfully so. Players have an expectation that the call isn't personal, so the complaints back about the call can't be either.

2. Don't use the F-bomb. Ever. Pretty much ever word is accptable, that on however is not and while most refs let it go, you overuse it, you go to the box. You feel shame. And then you are free.

3. Tell them the call sucked. Tell them about all the injustices you've suffered through tonight. But once the zebra says zip it. You're done. Keep yapping, and it's two minutes by yourself.

Refs put up with a lot of crap on the ice. I know, I reffed for a few years. There has to be some point where you can say enough, and start handing out discipline. There was a game, I think it was the SPHL maybe the old Central Hockey League, where a team was given a penalty because of the mascot.

[Swando]

Good post Hunt
,,but I to have played at a high level vs reffing. I have known refs to "bait" players by skating close to them as they enter the box to be able to hear their tirade and give them extra minutes...because they become personally involved against a team/player.. Worse yet is to call them by thier name and say "shower time" meaning you are getting a game... before it is even announced.. Refs are human but if this is a training ground for NHL with all the $ the NHL has at it's disposal and the way the game is going PP & PK then they should have 15 scouts here each game vs 5 for the players (lol)

[dondo]

yeah H24 -- i understand that but a lot of the refs seem to use as extra punishment just because as opposed to sending a message. Its too arbitrary in my mind and there should be stricter guidelines imnsho

when it was instituted in the NHL I think it was over-used and poorly used and as a result did not have the effect it was intended to have. I mean McGeough giving three penalties on one play, two of them of the mis-conduct variety is simply over-kill and clearly personal in my mind.

I realize reffing is a tough job, but if any of you saw the Ron Mclean bit where he reffed an exhibition game and was on the ice with (ugh) Stephen Walkcom (how that guy made the head of officials I'll never know - I don't think I have ever seen him call a consistent game in all the times I had to watch him), and I thought Ron was better than the guys out there, brought up some interesting points and actually pointed up not how tough their job is, but how biased and dleiberate they are -- in my mind it didn't help their press any.

anyway that's my ref rant - we'll get good ones and bad ones and that's the game, but I sincerely hope that we get better ones as the season progresses -- the refs need to understand that they have something to learn as well.