"Get to The Net," says Dan

Get to the Net - See the Puck

May 9 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/1237534952/ID=1916564998

Notes:
1. Steve Kozari getting in position to make a crucial goal call.  Props!

2. OUCH - Dan goes after Walkom one more time, in regards to embellishment.

Diving  - NOT in Hockey, Boys!

Dan talks Choppping Wood (Composite)

Marouelli talks about Chopping an Opponent

May 5 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/Hockey_Night_Online/1350044207/ID=1911369847

Notes:
1. The "10 second Rule" (errr...the 8 second rule) at the end of periods.  The saying goes, "Great linesmen can make a referee better.  No matter how good a referee is, he can NOT make the linesmen better." See this in principle in the first part of the interview.

2. It's the Action of the Slash - The guy "chokes" up to make the slash.  That's the action that is penalized.  Stick presses, taps, chops are not (usually) where there is no "cocking" of the stick.

Kudos to the team!

Walkom Mic'd Up for Game 4

One of my favorite NHL refs

Stephen Walkom gets mic'd up for Game 4 of Washington vs. Tampa Bay.  Great communication sound bites in there for officials to learn and use:
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=40&id=113237


Stick tap to Chris Fair for sharing this one.

HNIC: Marouelli Gives Props!

Dan Marouelli - 25 Year NHL Referee Interview

May 4 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/1237534952/ID=1909513323

Notes:

A. "Sight Lines" - they analyze the big hit that Niklas Kronwall put on Danny Heatley.  It's all about position and angles, Boys!

Here Comes the "Boom"!

2. Dan talks about "Hockey Skills" - Sounds kind of familiar (see here).

3. Super "props" goes out to the boys in stripes.  Great night of hockey (unless you are a Washington Capitals fan...oof!)

More Dan Marouelli

Dan Goes for a Run with the Boys

May 3 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/1237534952/ID=1908452300

Notes:

Penalty Shot Criterea:

1. Infraction occurs past attacker's own blue line.

2. Possession and control of the puck/no opponent to pass other than the goalie

3. Foul committed from behind.

4. Denied a reasonable scoring opportunity.

Ovechkin complains...

Ref calls a hook, no penalty shot

Dan says, "Yes" it should have been a penalty shot.

I say, "Ooof...I am all in favor of calling penalty shots, but I agree with the on ice call."

Comments?

Side note: One of my mentors called a hook on a semi-break, and the coach went off on him, because he wanted a penalty shot.  My mentor told him, "If you can explain the four criteria for a penalty shot, I will call it.  Otherwise, if you want to keep complaining, I will call a bench minor on you!"

Loved it!

Dan Marourelli Interviews (lots of them)

Dan Marouelli - 25 Years NHL Referee

Attention Hockey Referees out there: Dan Marouelli, former great NHL Referee, has been doing interviews on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.  The guy gives great insight to thoughts on officiating in the playoffs.

I am a bit behind here, but I will post the interviews and thoughts for the Stanley Cup playoffs from Marouelli from here on out through the finals.

Here are a series of links and my notes (p.s. I highly encourage you to watch them all, but if you do, you will be sick of seeing the Chevy ads before each and every one :)


*********************************************************************************
May 1 link: http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/1237534952/ID=1905451581

Notes:
Communication note: Refs who don't talk to the bench, in this case about "snowing goaltenders", you've got to have a discussion with the bench.  Great commentary.

Sticks and gloves: Refs have got to be "zoned in" on the sticks and gloves of the players.

*********************************************************************************

April 30 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/Hockey/1249236098/ID=1904706196

Notes:
Color Check: This is a term I use to make sure you are watching ANYWHERE on the ice where there are opposite colored jersey's together (in this case, Orange and White).  It is "forced awareness" to see subtle slashes and other infractions.
*********************************************************************************

April 28 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/1237534952/ID=1902456661

Notes:
Keith Ballard "clipping": I reffed this guy starting when he was a Squirt.  Great player, who just goes too low on a hit.


Playoff Round Selections: A bit of description (including a list of referees for the 2nd Round) on selections for each round.
*********************************************************************************

April 26 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/Hockey_Night_Online/1350044207/ID=1899366578

Notes:
"At Net Skills": Dan talks about quick whistles and the necessity of driving to the net.  This one is a tough one to swallow for the ref.  Do you hang back or drive the net? "At the end of the day, you gotta go where the puck is."


Hit to the head (Lucic on Spacek): Notice the talk about positioning (see my video: Work the Puck)
*********************************************************************************

April 23 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/Hockey_Night_Online/1350044207/ID=1895494016

Notes:
Goal Line Positioning: Brad Meier is "Johnny on the Spot" (even got complimented by Don Cherry!)
*********************************************************************************

April 21 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/Top_Stories/1237510081/ID=1893383544

Notes:
PLAYOFF HOCKEY STANDARD: This is a great discussion (with video example) on how to properly call a playoff game.  GREAT DISCUSSION.
*********************************************************************************

April 20 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/Hockey/1249236098/ID=1891881376

Notes:
Goaltender Interference/Accidental Interference: Positioning on the play, watching the players take advantage of a shove to take out/interfere with the goalie. ANOTHER GREAT DISCUSSION.

The Ref Didn't Throw the Elbow: This continues to be a great interview, talking about the Mike Richards elbow, called by Francis St. Laurent.
*********************************************************************************

April 16 link:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/Hockey_Night_Online/1350044207/ID=1885605314

Notes:
Communication Between Ref and Players: Dan talks about talking to players, and why/when to talk to the players. Clips showing Brad Meier, Paul Devorski, and Steve Kozari.
*********************************************************************************

You Make the Call

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.

*******************

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...

Holy Close Play, Batman

"Make sure you are on the blue line, Robin."

Close play at the line on the rush that led to the O.T. winner for the Bruins over the Canadiens.  Yes, it is on-side and it is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how line calls can be deceiving when viewed for the stands, the benches, on TV, or anywhere that isn't on the line, looking at the determining edge of the blue line.

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.)

I Love This Stuff!

No Words - Another Dang Good Commercial

May 18th Coach's Corner

I haven't been bloggin lately (too much going on...Mental Tuffness Training (R), complete with newsletters...3rd Annual Stanley Cup Playoffs Data Study ("You mean you actually TiVo the Stanley Cup Playoffs, get out a legal pad, some pencils, lots of coffee, and analyze every thing the officials are doing, so you, in turn, can share this information with other hockey referees to make them better?  Holy Shinto!"), so I had to share a little bit of Don Cherry (goddam, I love guys who wear their hearts on their sleeve) for the faithful.

p.s. I only study the Conference Finals and the Finals.  I love it. I may be wacked out, but I absolutely love it!

The 2010 NHL Playoffs (something to pump you up):

The Road to the Cup:



The Great One:



History Will Be Made:



Don Cherry chimes in...Hey, HS Ref Camp Guys!  Remember my insistence on you guys playing "Franchise"?  It's so you start picking up on stuff like Malkin did with the Senators bench.  Bring your game to the next level.

(Speaking of "next level", take a look at Crosby's sick moves)

Game 7 - Cup Finals - For All the Marbles

This is it! There are no more tomorrows...

There have only been 15 Game 7 's in the Stanley Cup History:

2006 Hurricanes vs. Oilers (One of the BEST freakin' games I've ever seen!)
2004 Lightning vs. Flames
2003 Devils vs. Ducks
2001 Avalanche vs. Devils
1994 Rangers vs. Canucks
1987 Oilers vs. Flyers
1971 Canadiens vs. Blackhawks
et. al.

I'm shopping for new tennis shoes for my daughter tonight, so I will be watching it later on Tivo. Don't tip me off to any score...don't send me any text messages....if you are watching and have a question -- send me an IM on [skype - jonlybonly].

Game 7 - Slump Busters - and Talent

Did you watch game 6 last night? If not, look [here - click on that spinning play button circle]. If so, you saw a heck of a game by the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury, and the Wings! Being biased of course, I'd also say that the referees, Bill McCreary and Marc Joannette were great (personally, I like them more than the other tandem - although the other tandem does include an American and Paul Devorski, who is Mr. Big Nuts #2, behind McCreary).

Back to last night's game...The Pens win 2-1 and both of their goals were scored by whom??? Nobody named Crosby or Malkin (I'm not a big fan of Malkin, by the way, read the above link or the Game 5 notes). Who scored? Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy - two 3rd liners. Sweet!

I love lunch bucket guys!

Generally, I really can't stand prima-donnas. Allow the opportunity to explain the difference between a prima-donna and an all-star guy -- Wayne Gretzky was NOT a prima-donna, Mario Lemiux was NOT a prima-donna, and Joe Thornton is NOT a primma-donna. They are all incredibly talented guys who work their butts off. On the flip side, Marian Gaborik is a primma-donna -- not a whole lot of guts in that game...

Why do I love lunch bucket guys so much? Because I am one of them. I have never been overly talented...at anything. I have had to bring a whole lot of piss and vinegar to EVERYTHING I've done. That's why I enjoyed this article so much:

Justin Bourne, former U-Alaska Anchorage star

"I went through stretches of great success in college and pro hockey, tying together point streaks of double digit games on multiple occasions. As you may have guessed, I also went through stretches of great misery, tying together streaks of wall-punching and pulling my hair out at the root for double-digit games…on multiple occasions.

The standard song and dance about slump breaking is, in my opinion, what prolongs them.

“Keep it simple. Shoot from everywhere.”

Garbage.

Nothing twists the knife in your already-stabbed confidence like a goalie casually gloving down your shot from left field that you only took because technically, that spot by the boards at the blueline fell under the category of “everywhere.”

The only known antidote for the slump sickness, of course, is to work so hard Rod Brind’Amour looks lazy.

It takes a couple games of driving the net, hovering around the crease and generally playing violently before a shot from the point redirects off the bridge of your nose and goes in for you to get back to normal."

See the whole blog [here].

I've had the distinct pleaure of working out with some lunch bucket guys at Velocity Hockey Center, doing some gut-busting work on the skating treadmill.

I have had the VERY DISTINCT PLEASURE of working with some guys on some of the BEST and MOST EFFECTIVE and MOST REFEREE-SPECIFIC off-ice workouts out there.

All is sweet when the lunch bucket guy gets his...

p.s. Want any of the lunch bucket action? Contact me: info@ultimateofficials.com

Say, "I've got my lunch bucket"

Game 6 - Stanley Cup (Raised tonight?)

Game 5 - Stanley Cup Finals

Game 4 - Stanley Cup Finals

Game 3 - Stanley Cup FInals

How Come Nobody Asks me About this Rule??

Is is All About the etcetra??? No one, and I repeat, no one asked me about this rule. No one mentioned it...(when I saw that fight happen I thought, "It's in the last five minutes! They're done the next game!"

On the flip side, EVERYONE and their dog asked me about the play where Zetterberg put his hand on the puck on Osgood's back, all while in the crease (see second clip - you'll have to fast forward to the 6:00 mark of the video). They all wanted to know, "is that a penalty shot?" My answer is in my Game 1 Live Blog notes...


For some reason ESPN got rid of that video...here's a funny/tragic one instead:


Game 1

Game 2 - Stanley Cup FInals