What would you like to see changed in the style of NHL refereeing?

Question

I see the referees as woefully inconsistent. Perhaps it is the NHL's attitude to keep the flow of the game going. I see boarding penalties, charging penaties etc. go uncalled and then the most inconspicuous non call, a penalty. In my opinion, there are many injuries as a result of these non calls. The Oilers have paid dearly with 10 injured players. Other teams have an inordinate number of injuries as well. There are 2 referees in every game. There are rules. Why are they unable to enforce them?

I do agree that the style of play is much better due to rule changes. That said, it does not make for better refereeing. I watch a lot of hockey and understand the game. The refs have missed many blatant penalties that at times have resulted in injury. I see the inconsistent refereeing in just about any game or any teams I watch. I realize hockey is a fast game and it is hard to see everything. It is one of intimidation and huge frustration when the refs can't get it right. Perhaps some remedial courses and upgrades for all refs are in order.

Answer 1

they need to be more consistent on there calls you call one call the other. we all know the playoffs are coming and the ref's do tend to let the players play more which is great cause this is the biggest battle of all sports to win the Stanley cup.

the ref's need to have total control of the game and they didn't have any control in the NYR, NYI game and let it get out of hand and players do get very frustrated and with the hit from behind on Simon which was not called so Simon took it in his own hands which was not the right choice but those things tend to happened when emotions are running high and the ref's loose total control of the game.

the ref's did a good jobs maybe 90% of the time on calling the hooking and grabbing but still needs to be 100% percent accurate on there calls, and the teams that loose well they blame the ref's but there trying to do there jobs yes some calls are harder to call like Darcy Tucker diving but they just need to have total control and be at lest 95% consistent on calling penalties since they can't see everything cause its such a fast game.




GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 2

The refs are consistant. There are two things I've noticed that are starting to happen though.
1. Referees don't call penaties in the last 5 minutes of a game.(Especially if a game is close)
2. Referees tend to call "even up" penalties. Meaning if a team has been shorthanded 5 times, the refs tend to call a penalty at a weird time to even the score.
These are things that happened often in the 80s, and went away when they went to a 2 ref system, but it's slowly coming back.

Answer 3

Actually i think is the other way around.Ref call for penaties even is a little bit of contact. I dont like games to be stop and resume because hockey is really about the speed and the up and downs. Notice sometimes ref will get in the way when players look like they are about to fight ? (last week or so Avery and some Devils players begin to shove one another and it look like there will be fight ,ref got there to break it up)I think ref are inconsistence in every sports.

Answer 4

Consistency, especially in the same game. The refs need to figure out how tight they will call the game beforehand, so that on the ice they don't call different levels. that's not good.

Overall though, most players like a tighter game. And the players can do a lot of damage to the league if they don't like what's going on.

call it pretty tight. when you don't games get out of control and heads get bashed in.

Answer 5

Instead of calling those hooking, slashing, holding penalties when it doesn't even effect the player from a scoring chance, they should call more high-sticks that are often undetected, any roughing penalties that they actually try to hurt the players, and any interference calls when the player gets hit when he doesn't have the puck. The refs should actually call the more aggresive penalties instead of the hooking penalties when the player hardly touches his opponent.

Answer 6

im not sure if its the referees fault for being inconsisten, but gary bettmans fault for being a complete asshole to the game of hockey. defacing it like there is no tomorrow. what happened to under 25 teams in the league? screw that...lets make it 30. also...hockey is known as a physical sport, and big players making a difference. what do they do now? scouters are looking for new, small, fast skaters to play. there arent any big hits, and there is definitely a decrease in the amount of fights.

Answer 7

One word: Everything

Answer 8

consistency of the calls made