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Monday, April 25, 2011
You Make the Call
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That's You, Standing There, Thinking about the Call |
Game 6 - PHI at BUF - Mike Richards hit on Tim Connolly:
The call on the Play: Minor for Boarding
The call you make in a split-second decision: ?????
Does time of the game (13:57 in 2nd Period), type of player (Captain, Mike Richards) and game (Game 6, going to a Game 7) make a difference???
Ryan Miller, goalie for the Sabres, had this to say: "If Mike Richards thinks we're getting away with murder I don't know what he just got away with. Mass murder? Are we stepping up a notch? Unbelievable."
Game 7 is Tuesday April 26, 2011 at 6:30 pm (CST) on Versus.
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Does the type of player make a difference in this hit?:
The call on the Play: Minor for Interference
The call you make in a split-second decision: ????
Does the type of player (bad boy, Jarkko Ruutu) make a difference in suspension? Ruutu is suspended one game.
Talk amongst yourselves...
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Hey Ref
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| Playoff Hockey Like or dislike?: info@ultimateofficials.com To get more insight and advice on hockey officiating: www.UOspecialoffer.com |
Friday, April 22, 2011
Holy Close Play, Batman
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| "Make sure you are on the blue line, Robin." |
I LOVE IT! (Plus, on a personal note, I love that the Bruins won, because I got them winning the Stanley Cup in my Ultimate Officials NHL Pick Em Contest...whew! All things tied a two games apiece now.)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Few Playoff Notes
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| Too many men? |
Some interesting notes:
Chris Rooney, NHL ref from Massachusetts, and guy who was reffing in the USHL when I first started lining in the USHL, broke his ankle in a game. Suck wad!
There have been three suspensions in the playoffs so far:
Bobby Ryan: http://youtu.be/r7MEmL6EqOs
and NOT Raffi Torres: http://youtu.be/JeZDE9H3_vU
AND...
Poor Marian Gaborik: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=0&id=110118
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What is a "Dirty" Hit These Days?
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| "What's the Buzz All About?" |
Head contact...
Concussions...
Targeting the head...
Hitting from Behind...
Charging?....
All buzz words these days in hockey circles. I can't turn on Versus, the VS "Overtime" Show, NHL "On the Fly", nor NHL Radio on XM/Sirius without hearing them talk on and on and on about the aforementioned buzz words.
Before we even get on and on and on about the buzz, I have a video and a link for you and a recent NHL playoff article for you:
Zebra TV - Episode 3 from J.B. Olson on Vimeo.
Link referenced in the above video: http://youtu.be/m55RtBUyKcA
RECENT BOURNE ARTICLE LINK: http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/columns/when-clean-hits-look-dirty
(psst...I love the writing of Justin Bourne, former NCAA - Alaska-Anchorage - and Minor Pro Player)
RECENT NHL PLAYOFF STUFF:
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A few things I would like to say, as an ex-player first, and then, as a hockey referee second:
1. I played to hurt guys. Not injure them, but hurt them. What's the difference? The difference is (a) making a guy think twice about tangling in the corner with me again, and (b) I want that guy to feel the "sting" NOT (I repeat *NOT*) to put him in the hospital.
Hockey is a great sport because it can be beautiful, artistic, and at the same time BARBARIC. Me...I liked the BARBARIC side of the sport as much as any.
2. I think a lot of the increase in injuries is because we don't call CHARGING enough.
There are a number of reasons we don't call charging enough...like, does the guy go 100 mph and then set his feet prior to the hit, thus, negating the "taking two or more strides thing?
How about the fact that most times a ref calls charging everybody in the building screams "INJUSTICE!"?(well...half of the people involved).
How about the fact that players are stronger, bigger, and a whole lot faster than before, and no one seems to like the notion of cutting down on speed? Let's face it, there are some big dudes out there moving full tilt.
How about the fact that some of these things happen because everyone is moving full tilt and it is really hard to make an adjustment when we are taking "miliseconds". All guys have on their mind is "finish the hit". All guys are coached to do is to "finish the hit". When you have that demand running through your brain, and the guy you are checking suddenly turns or ducks...well...it's damn hard to stop your momentum.
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What's the answer? I don't have one. I just know that some of the things I have mentioned here are facts that are tough to disprove. Real tough.
(note: hitting from behind is not tough...it is gutless, but look at the Johan Franzen video in the "Bourne Article" and tell me whether Shane Doan was being gutless or not. I say "not" because...well...he was moving FAST!)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Why I love the Stanley Cup Playoffs
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| Gotta love Ray Bourque |
The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today, and as a referee, I am excited as can be (I might be a little bit more pumped if the MN Wild were in, because (a) the Minneapolis Star Tribune would pay A LOT more attention to the great hockey action, and (b) there would be a lot more refs in this area excited, like I am excited).
Why I am pumped for each year of the Playoffs:
* As a T.V. viewer, I get to watch the best and the brightest work a game, under the most pressure, with the most intensity, that our hockey world would ever get to see.
Here's a link to who's working: http://nhlofficials.com/display_news.asp?articleID=531
(20 referees and 20 linesmen)
A shout out to the USA guys:
REFS - Dennis Larue, Brian Pochmara, Chris Rooney, Ian Walsh
LINES - Brian Murphy, Tim Nowak, Tony Sericolo
* The playoffs tend to "highlight" or put a "spotlight" on rule changes and drive philosophy for the upcoming season (see: headshots, too many men penalties, standard on obstruction, video replay, etc).
* Learning vicariously through others - a couple of years ago I asked a group of trainees in the Ultimate Officials Program to do some "homework" on the game officials and tell me what you learned.
The reported findings included things like:
"I watched how the referees communicated with the players and the coaches"*
"I was amazed how good these guys are at getting out of the way of traffic, yet being able to stay in position"*
"The linesmen are just FLYING to the net on stoppages."
"I am amazed at how on top of the net the refs are on close calls."*
* This year, the Ultimate Officials Program has a "Pick em Challenge". This is a friendly betting game that is done between hockey referees to foster a new sense of interest in the games. We are putting "Bragging Rights" on the line to see who can predict the winners and be crowned the next Karnac.*
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| Did You Know that the Best Referees can be like "Karnac"? |
(Note: I picked Boston over Vancouver to win the cup)
* With there being plenty of hockey action to blog about, I going all in with my commentary. You can check for regular blog updates, including video examples (which have proven to help train and develop referees through my Ultimate Officials Programs. Yes, there is proof.), and I will be tweeting all about the action as well.
I have been sporadic with posts on this site since the first of the year (really since we had our Movember initiative and raised over $2000 for the NHLOA's Zebra Cares Charity). I am back and I want you back, too.
My promise: educate, first and foremost, and to entertain.
Check out my twitter acount: Follow me here
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* = As of this writing, I will be either running or involved in ELEVEN referee camps this off season. The off season is the time to really develop for the next year. A lot of guys don't quite get that, because once you are in a season you are really "set" wherever you are in the "pecking order" because of what you did previously. There ain't a lot of upward mobility during the season. The hockey season is NOT the time to develop...the off season is the time to develop.
I am running 9 different off season camps, focusing on either Treadmill Training or "The 2-1 System Hockey Skills Camps".
Treadmill training = the best way to improve skating and break old habits.
"2-1 System Hockey Skills Camps" = the best way to improve "skills" (not necessarily perfect the 2-1 system) and get quality reps on ice to prepare for the next winter season.
Ask me about the seven different "Skills Camps" I am running this Spring/Summer/Fall for hockey officials in the Twin Cities, MN area - info@ultimateofficials.com
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