Let’s Talk: Referees

Recently there has been an unfortunate uprise in miss-calls, bad calls and goals that result in the bad calls. Take games three and four for the Stanley Cup Conference Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens.

or more recent game seven between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning:

and the whole debate of ‘what is really goaltending interference?’:

So let’s gather from what we know about these clips, out of the four clips I have chosen, two out of three (due to two clips being from the same game(s)) of them involved a Canadian-based team. I will choose to sideline the Rangers vs Penguins game due to it not necessarily involving my point. However, goaltending interference is a huge problem within the league. Back onto the Canadian teams. It is so strange to me how a Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup within the last 29, nearly 30 years. Just to add to the strange mix, Gary Bettman became commissioner in 1993, the last time a Canadian team won the Cup. And from 1993 there have only been six Canadian teams to reach the finals and fail to win the cup. (2021, 2011, 2007, 2006, 2004 and 1994). That is just 6/29. What year really stood out is 2004, the Calgary Flames against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a crucial game six.

As it was deemed to be no goal, Tampa, later on, forced a game seven to win the Stanley Cup. 16 years later and it is still talked about by most Canadian fans today.

Let’s go back in time, shall we? The year was 1993 and the Conference finals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings were happening. It was game six and then this happened

I was not alive to remember this. However, growing up in Toronto with Leafs fans as parents I heard about this nearly every year around the time of the playoffs. And I agree with them it is a horrible missed call.

Also a very recent non-NHL horrible call,

https://twitter.com/StevenEllisTHN/status/1530988992891695106?s=20&t=uwQr4ORuuNRsogbDqWTZzw

Now let me make a few things clear. I am Canadian, born and raised in Toronto. However, majority of my life I was not cheering a Canadian team. I was cheering for an American team. But that does not excuse the point that I am Canadian and watch some Canadian teams, especially on Saturday.

Now since taking a look at those videos, I concluded that refs are paid off by Bettman because he hates Canadians or The refs hate Canada. I’m joking. It is highly suspicious why most of these missed/horrible calls are on Canadian teams and how when Bettman took charge, Canadian teams have failed to win the Stanley Cup and instead are gifted first-overall picks in the draft that would be the key to supposedly helping them win the Stanley Cup but fail to do so. (Examples - Matthews and the Leafs, McDavid and the Oilers, etc).

So why is horrible reffing a problem within hockey? A question that often gets asked by many, old or new fans. Now there is no proper answer. However, instead of there being an answer, it can be the conclusion on why so many fans are confused about calls (especially newer fans). With so many new rule changes even the older fans have a hard time figuring out what are the right calls. This causes current fans to drive away from the sport and newer ones to cause fights over calls. I’m saying that this is a huge problem within the sport. Focusing on the NHL, talks so much about growing the game. I agree they should grow their game as hockey is exciting for everyone. However, if you plan on growing the game, horrible reffing is a reason people drive away from your game. Which I am assuming is something you don’t want.

Not too long ago, McDavid who is considered to be the face of the NHL said this: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/mcdavid-like-see-consistency-officials-playoffs/. Is it not bizarre how the face of the NHL a year ago said this and nothing has changed? I mean sure several other players a part of Canadian Franchises have said things about the refs or “no comment”. But Connor McDavid said this and nothing… crickets. This league sometimes if not all the time is a joke.

So, if you are a hockey fan, new or old. Do not be afraid to ask another hockey fan about missed/bad calls as not doing this will cause people to drive away from the sport and cause fights, which assuming we all do not want.