2007-03-03 05:09:45 · 7 answers · asked by curious 7 in Sports ➔ Hockey
I believe they did before the lockout. Why they decided to just number off the refs is beyond me. I guess its like the one guy here says that no other professional sports league has their officials names on their backs, but they did for a while. I guess they're going back to the days when they didn't because they never used to do it, then they did, and now they're going back to it. I think that the NHL should just make up their minds and say that they are not going to have the refs names on the back of their shirts. Every ref has a different number anyways, so they are told apart by their numbers, thus making it unnecessary for their names to be identified. If you watch games on tv, the tv announcers will tell you who is officiating, but other than that I don't know if you're actually told at the game. But, to conclude, they used to have their names on the back, but now they just number everyone differently.
2007-03-03 05:37:25 · answer #1 · answered by Me 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No sport does, and yeah the NHL did at one time, and I think the idea is refs are to be unbiased. So they take the names off so people don't get too focused on which refs is doing what. Although they announce who will be the refs most don't pay attention unless the name is familiar.
2007-03-03 08:36:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Despite the officials DESIRE to be a huge part of the game, the NHL decided to make the fans' chant more generic... "Hey Ref, You Suck!"
Of course, true fans still know the refs by name... Kerry Fraser has that perfect hair... Koharski is Donut Boy, etc etc etc
2007-03-03 12:01:08 · answer #3 · answered by MarkH in Tampa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No sport has referees with their names on the back of their jerseys. I like it better that way though. Not too many people care about the names of the referees.
2007-03-03 05:12:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
At one time they did
I think they dropped the names in order to preserve their "deniable plausibility"
2007-03-03 06:20:24 · answer #5 · answered by Joe Crow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because it does't matter who the refs are. the fans don't go to to see the refs. they go to see the players.
2007-03-03 11:56:34 · answer #6 · answered by hockey craze99 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They should put their name and phone number on the back, lol
2007-03-03 07:29:26 · answer #7 · answered by Rockford 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋