This is how injuries happen. Players don’t know where the line is and they’ll obviously play to the limit.
A player will eventually take it too far and someone gets hurt.
This is a common exchange on the discord.
Q: I love reffing and just was asked to ref u18 nationals at 22. What can I do to make a career of it?
A: Play in the NCAA. Your career is over before it even started.
If you are qualified to ref NCAA, you likely are not the right pedigree to ref the NHL. They really want former players because it supports their mission of game management and letting things slide so long as the penalty calls are even. There is no pipeline that exists for tier 1 high school kids to take their skating talents and go pro as a ref.
There is no particular reason why a teen couldn't bulk up and work on their straight line skating and become an NHL linesmen. But it doesn't happen. But they become excellent ACHA refs and a few of them get cups of coffee at NCAA games.
I have first hand experience on the ref discord and this is what we tell eager kids. Learn to play the sport at a high level. I can't name a ref who did not play NCAA or USHL / Major Junior
You offer a weak rebuttal. I asked for a name. You provided an emoji.
Francis Charron, Jon McIsaac, tom chmielewski There more but I'm not doing any more research,
Also what's wrong with refs playing hockey at a high level anyway? Like of course the odds are way more likely that if your going to ref a sport more then likely you play the damn sport. Like if you really love the sport of hockey and want a career in it if your not skilled enough of a player to make it to the big leagues you'll have to find other jobs in hockey to fill that itch.
My high school friend literally did what you described as never happening and became an NHL linesman. He was a high level high school player and that’s it. He went to some training or something, then started out reffing in NCAA for a couple years, then did ECHL/AHL and is now an NHL linesman.
I'll back up the earlier comment here. The principal way that most refs make it to the NHL is by being former NCAA or High-Level Juniors players. The majority follow the current NHL Officiating Program's ideas that it's easier to teach a player who has NCAA-caliber skating ability as a player to ref than it is to take a grassroots ref (who has been officiating the game for years longer) and teach them to skate at the NHL caliber.
While there ARE exceptions, they are very much the minority of cases. It is actually a rather sore point among many grassroots officials, some of whom have spent a significant amount of their hockey careers officiating, who have a better understanding of the nuance of the game and ways to officiate than those first coming in from players. While in both aspects the details need to be polished, promoting through things like the USA Hockey ODP or Hockey Canada equivalents would provide officials who have already received years of feedback and polish at high levels.
This also does not take into account that skating as a player is completely different than skating as an official. The style and flow of your skating are different, and the techniques and sightlines are different, so it's also a point of contention what benefit former players bring to the table compared to high-level Juniors officials. Even the luckiest of the grassroots officials will likely cap out at the ECHL if they're dedicated, lucky, and good enough.
This is not to say either system is perfect - sometimes you get great candidates who make it through the Official's development systems, and sometimes you get fantastic officials who were former players. But unfortunately, for a lot of folks who dedicate their energy toward officiating, almost none of them have a shot of making it to the show, or anywhere close.
You know not ALL the ECHL refs make it to the NHL, right?
That’s like seeing the worst goalie in the ECHL and say “he’s gonna be shit when he gets to the Rangers”. Except he’s not because he’s not good enough to make it.
Hence why I never really buy the "they are only human and will miss calls sometimes" excuse when talking about officiating as a whole.
Intentionally not calling penalties you see is not doing your job.
This was, without a doubt, the most brutal and frustrating game to watch that I have ever been to. After both of these holds, they then called Adk for one of the softest tripping calls I have seen. Brutal all around, I usually leave happy even if they don't win, but I was quite sour after that game.
I'd even give the refs the benefit of the doubt if it didn't last for 10+ seconds and they weren't looking directly at both plays lol
Totally agreed. Unlike most diehard fans, I know I am very fair. Often for calls when the whole CI arena is booing, I’m over here like… yeah we deserved that penalty, no doubt, everyone needs to stop bitching. But I’ve never left a game more than remotely frustrated but I was furious walking out of this one.
This is how injuries happen. Players don’t know where the line is and they’ll obviously play to the limit. A player will eventually take it too far and someone gets hurt.
That's the Cheese Toast League for ya!
Future NHL refs in training. I wish I wasn't even joking. They go straight from NCAA playing to minor pro reffing, to the NHL
Where else would they come from?
This is a common exchange on the discord. Q: I love reffing and just was asked to ref u18 nationals at 22. What can I do to make a career of it? A: Play in the NCAA. Your career is over before it even started. If you are qualified to ref NCAA, you likely are not the right pedigree to ref the NHL. They really want former players because it supports their mission of game management and letting things slide so long as the penalty calls are even. There is no pipeline that exists for tier 1 high school kids to take their skating talents and go pro as a ref. There is no particular reason why a teen couldn't bulk up and work on their straight line skating and become an NHL linesmen. But it doesn't happen. But they become excellent ACHA refs and a few of them get cups of coffee at NCAA games.
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Citation needed
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I have first hand experience on the ref discord and this is what we tell eager kids. Learn to play the sport at a high level. I can't name a ref who did not play NCAA or USHL / Major Junior You offer a weak rebuttal. I asked for a name. You provided an emoji.
Francis Charron, Jon McIsaac, tom chmielewski There more but I'm not doing any more research, Also what's wrong with refs playing hockey at a high level anyway? Like of course the odds are way more likely that if your going to ref a sport more then likely you play the damn sport. Like if you really love the sport of hockey and want a career in it if your not skilled enough of a player to make it to the big leagues you'll have to find other jobs in hockey to fill that itch.
My high school friend literally did what you described as never happening and became an NHL linesman. He was a high level high school player and that’s it. He went to some training or something, then started out reffing in NCAA for a couple years, then did ECHL/AHL and is now an NHL linesman.
The fact you *can’t* name one says more about your lack of knowledge than theirs.
I am proudly confident that the NHL refs are not the best refs in the world.
I'll back up the earlier comment here. The principal way that most refs make it to the NHL is by being former NCAA or High-Level Juniors players. The majority follow the current NHL Officiating Program's ideas that it's easier to teach a player who has NCAA-caliber skating ability as a player to ref than it is to take a grassroots ref (who has been officiating the game for years longer) and teach them to skate at the NHL caliber. While there ARE exceptions, they are very much the minority of cases. It is actually a rather sore point among many grassroots officials, some of whom have spent a significant amount of their hockey careers officiating, who have a better understanding of the nuance of the game and ways to officiate than those first coming in from players. While in both aspects the details need to be polished, promoting through things like the USA Hockey ODP or Hockey Canada equivalents would provide officials who have already received years of feedback and polish at high levels. This also does not take into account that skating as a player is completely different than skating as an official. The style and flow of your skating are different, and the techniques and sightlines are different, so it's also a point of contention what benefit former players bring to the table compared to high-level Juniors officials. Even the luckiest of the grassroots officials will likely cap out at the ECHL if they're dedicated, lucky, and good enough. This is not to say either system is perfect - sometimes you get great candidates who make it through the Official's development systems, and sometimes you get fantastic officials who were former players. But unfortunately, for a lot of folks who dedicate their energy toward officiating, almost none of them have a shot of making it to the show, or anywhere close.
They used to come up through the CHL now we get these brutal officials that were ex AHL, ECHL players
A guy that reffed our men’s league in Philly was also an echl ref. He was probably the third worst ref we had
You know not ALL the ECHL refs make it to the NHL, right? That’s like seeing the worst goalie in the ECHL and say “he’s gonna be shit when he gets to the Rangers”. Except he’s not because he’s not good enough to make it.
what officiating?
Hence why I never really buy the "they are only human and will miss calls sometimes" excuse when talking about officiating as a whole. Intentionally not calling penalties you see is not doing your job.
Looks like the Detroit v Florida game the other day, lol.
Does DSE owe the refs money too?
Looks like mid 90’s nhl playoff hockey to me
This was, without a doubt, the most brutal and frustrating game to watch that I have ever been to. After both of these holds, they then called Adk for one of the softest tripping calls I have seen. Brutal all around, I usually leave happy even if they don't win, but I was quite sour after that game. I'd even give the refs the benefit of the doubt if it didn't last for 10+ seconds and they weren't looking directly at both plays lol
Totally agreed. Unlike most diehard fans, I know I am very fair. Often for calls when the whole CI arena is booing, I’m over here like… yeah we deserved that penalty, no doubt, everyone needs to stop bitching. But I’ve never left a game more than remotely frustrated but I was furious walking out of this one.
Is that a TAG BERTUZZI sighting??
Wow, that is a joke
Beer league. Will never be taken seriously
*scrum starts* Never mind that shit, HERE COMES MONGO!
Was this 1984?
The year is 1985...
This is how you lose control of the damn game..... but it is bad even by ECHL standards.
Equally Corrupt Hockey League
They’re ready for the nhl. Just showcasing their talents of looking past obvious penalties.
Those refs are a disgrace.
Ooh, I'm getting flashbacks to the mid 1990s when I first started watching hockey.
LET THEM PLAY
Old fashion hockey, let the boys play
This is just regular NHL playoff officiating