What's the worst call you've seen a referee make?

Question

Or "the war room" in Toronto make?

I'm pretty sure I'll hear the words Mick McGoo a lot. He's an old fat lard who should retire, he doesn't help the game any.

Ok, the reason I dislike Mick McGoo so much is one of the calls he made in the 2005-06 playoffs. Quarter Finals. Edmonton vs. Detroit. Game 6. Edmonton leads series 3-2. Detroit winning in game 3-2. Now I don't remember who but I think Pronger shot the puck from the blue line and it was really high, I don't remember who but some Edmonton guy high sticked it down. (yes high-stick, above the cross bar). Then Hemsky kicked the puck in. Now McGoo origianally says goal, now I'm flippin out at this point. They go upstairs which goes to the warroom in Toronto. Now this is being reviewed for a long time and well I get to see tons of replays because of it and it is clearly high sticked and kicked in so i relax a little and well about 5 minutes later they call it a goal. Edmonton would later win the game and the series. That was one of the worst. You guys got some good ones too.

I also think Kerry Fraser doesn't help the game any. Good call on that!:D

Answer 1

"no goal" and ALL of the bogus calls during this years playoffs. how many goals can you throw out, especially during game 2 sabres/sens. and neil? stop whining!!!!!!!!!!!!! god, the guy looks at a ref cross-eyed and they all panic that someone hit him in the face with a brick. unsportsmanlike conduct?!?! how about 2 minute minor for being a little b*tch?

ok, i'm done lol

Answer 2

Honestly, I have never had much of a problem with Mick McGeough. I have always considered Kerry Fraser to be the most overrated referee in hockey, but that is just me.

In any case, I think the worst call I ever saw was in the playoffs in the mid-90s. I forget exactly which year. St. Louis was playing L.A., and Geoff Courtnall blatantly and obviously ran Jamie Storr, the Kings' goalie, whose head smacked the cross bar pretty hard. Naturally, the Kings' closest defenseman, who happened to be Sean O'Donnell, went after Courtnall, a dirty coward his entire career who promptly turtled. O'Donnell pounded on him a little, and got 5 minutes. Courtnall didn't get a thing. The Blues scored 3 goals during the major power play, which won them the game, which deflated the Kings, who lost the series.

I have always thought, and still do, that blaming the refs for the result of a hockey series is lame and weak. This is the closest to an exception I ever saw, but one thing still remains: had the Kings killed that penalty or not let it get to them in the remaining games, things could have been different. Ref blaming is still a lame excuse.

And no, I am not a Kings fan.

p.s. The Gelinas goal mentioned above from the 2004 finals did NOT go in. It was on edge. It is simply one of those things where if you were a Flames fan, it was "in," and if you were a Lightning fan it was not. I, personally, could care less for either team, and the computer models that they used later showed that the goal did not clearly cross the line as thought. Blaming Fraser is pointless, because all possible goals are reviewed anyway. He had nothing to do with it.

Answer 3

Pre-edit: Oh damnit, I just noticed I am a moron and put a football example in a hockey question. My bad. I'll leave the other one, but I'll add this.

The worst call? How about every single call in the 2006-07 Stanley Cup playoffs? If you so much as grazed an opponent, you got two minutes for one of the ten thousand ways they can say interference. In turn, guys were getting poleaxed in the face, repeatedly, with NO CALL. The refs are so concerned with the ticky-tack garbage that they completely forgot about the safety of the players.

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It does not get worse than Colorado's fifth down vs Missouri. It was the most brutal, ridiculous mistake that the whole officiating crew was suspended for the season.

In the midst of Colorado's eventual national championship season, they were trailing Missouri by four and were marching downfield. They got inside the ten and the fun started. At one point in the broadcast, even the announcer questioned whether it was 2nd or 3rd down. When it turned to "3rd down" (actually fourth), people started freaking out in the stands, on the field, and on the sideline ... but nobody checked. CU runs a play that doesn't get into the end zone, they hurry up, and spike the ball ... on fourth down.

At this point everyone is going nuts, but nobody seems to care that it is FIFTH DOWN! When they scored to win the game with no time, fans were running on the field to argue. It was total chaos. Then, the Missouri fans tore down the goalposts anyway!

Edit: Here is a YouTube video of the whole drive. Count the downs yourself. And actually, the announcers don't really notice the problem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ

And here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Down) Wikipedia talks about it, too.

Answer 4

I will say that the Brett Hull 99 goal was a bad call. And the 2004 Calgary Flames no goal in game 6 that cost them the cup was a terrible call as well and probably the worst. Another horrible call I've seen is when its Oilers vs Dallas and Shawn Horcoff wins the faceoff to Stoll who shoots from the point and the rebound goes to Hemsky who puts it in with barely any time left on the clock to tie the game. Mick McGoo who is standing on the other side of the rink blows the whistle before hemsky scores because he calls iit a glove pass from Horcoff! Give me a break, he should understand that the refferee dropping the puck should see that glove pass and blow his whistle. Bad bad call but we got our revenge. The next time we played them, Stefan misses the empty net with like 7 seconds to go and then Stoll picks it up, makes a long pass to Smyth at the side of the boards in Dallas territory. Smyth beautifuly passes it to Hemsky with no one in front of him and dekes Turco for the tie game. Unfortunately we lost in a shoot out though.

Answer 5

I think fans of every team will have a blown call but here are a pair that I'll never forget.

1980 Stanley Cup Finals. Isles vs. Flyers. Bob Nystrom clearly in Flyers zone ahead of the puck, shoots, scores, no offside.

A few years earlier, Leafs vs. Flyers. Quarter or Semi Finals. Bernie Parent makes glove save as he lays on his side across the goal, holds glove up so ref can see puck is stopped. Darryl Sittler chops at the puck a few times and scores. Goal counts.

Answer 6

Mick Mcgoo robbed Edmenton of 2 points

Answer 7

Kerry Fraser's non-call in the 1993 playoffs. Leafs vs Kings, Game 6. Gretzky high sticked Gilmour and made him bleed. Gretzky should have gotten 4 minutes (and he would have been kicked out because that was the rule at the time). Instead, Gretzky scores the winner in OT, then LA wins in Game 7 to go to the Cup.

Answer 8

I have two, one is funny one is not.

1. This is the funny one. Ray Bourque is going into the corner with a forward in his defensive zone. They both turn at the corner, going behind the net, the ref is at like the top of the faceoff circle, and from where he is standing, all he can see is Bourques stick blade, and directly behind it is the opposing forwards skates, the forward falls, and bourque gets a tripping penalty. They showed the replay from the camera above the net, and Bourques stick never comes within 2 feet of the forward, but from the refs angle, it looked like bourque tripped him. It was really cool, illusion, but Bourque was POed. I was too at the time, but I have since gotten over it.

2. The stupidest call ever, when the bruins guy had his big toe in the red part of the crease, and the bruins playoff winning goal got disallowed, since that time, they have made it ok to be in th crease during a goal, if you have no part in scoring the goal. Unfortunately, that rule got made to late, and the bruins missed their chance at the Stanley cup, and haven't made it close since.

Answer 9

I have seen it where both refs called something different at the same time on the same player. All I could do was laugh. I have also seen the one where they have a trip and a dive. Mick wasn't that bad this past year, IMO. He must be mellowing out in his "young" age. He's not that bad, he grows on you. Now that I have said this, he will more than likely piss me off this season. Mike McCreary, Kerry Fraser, and Dennis LaRue really pisses me off. Of course, I am sure we all have our "favorites". I hope you enjoy this link.

http://www.hockeyrefs.com/intheheadlines/2007/02/06.

Answer 10

During Pat Lafontaine's brief time as a Ranger he broke free from Al MacInnis at centre and skated in alone on Jamie MacLennan. Before getting his shot away, MacInnis swung at the puck and missed and in the process tripped Lafontaine............penalty shot.

Wrong! Don Koharski called Lafontaine for unsportsmanline conduct/interference (Can't remember which)

Every replay showed that MacInnis caught nothing but skates and that in all reality, a penalty shot should have been called.

Answer 11

The 99 Stanley Cup playoffs Dallas vs Buffalo that was so not a goal they even admitted it this past season that they probably should have called it differently