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"I'm a Shark out of Water in San Bernardino"
Alta Loma, CA • United States • 32 Years Old • Female
I'm fed up!! After the Sharks loss last night to Nashville, that could have very easily been a win had the refs done their freaking job right, something has to change! This game just happens to be the last straw. I've been watching a number of games this season since I have Center Ice, and it just as bad throughout the league. In every game I've seen there have be horrendous penalties called or not called that have at times, like last night, cost teams critical goals that may have determined the game in the end.

I know this is nothing new, and bad penalties are part of the game. With only 2 refs, they can't possibly see everything that happens and I understand that. But if an observer, who is by no means an expert on the game, like myself, can see a blatant penalty, then the damn refs who are on the ice merely feet away from the play should be able to make the call! The only consistency in the calls being made, is that for the most part they are consistently bad! I've seen interference calls along the boards go ignored, but if someone happened to skate a a few inches in front of someone pursuing the puck and slowed him down, it gets called. I've seen elbows get thrown, knocking players to the ice, but if a stick gets parallel, you're guaranteed a trip to the penalty box for a hook. It's absurd!

I already ranted about this once, but I'm bringing my frustration to the to the table once again because I need everyone's help. I've been contemplating writing into the National Hockey League Officials Association about the horrendous jobs the officials have been doing, and this has put me over the top! I'm definitely doing it now, and I think if we ban together to voice our complaints, maybe we can get some positive change in the officiating of games. I know the NHL wants the refs to restrain from calling obsessive amounts of penalties, but sometimes teams are guilty of doing it, and you have to call a spade a spade. It may cause the game to move a little slower, but teams and players need to learn to restrain from taking penalties and not just being allowed to get away with it to let the game move along.

I shouldn't have to hope that the refs do the job that they're paid to do. It's their freaking job! They need to get their heads out of their asses, and call the poop consistently per the rules, and not consistently bad!

Send in your complaints here: http://www.nhlofficials.com/contact.asp
Filed Under:   NHL   Refs   Officiating   Complaints  
November 12, 2008 5:45 PM ET | Delete
I think rather than one person, more might carry more weight if at all with the NHL. Threaten income and they might jump or at least respond. I know the fustrations can gather and sometime writing it out can make you feel like at least you got it off yoru chest. Unfortunately, unless you challenge their income, they might be likely to give you a coutesy response. Bring numbers to the table and go after income like (your whole group) drops "Center Ice", not attend games etc.. You see what I mean. Money is the power that moves mountains... Good luck with the striped bastards!
November 12, 2008 6:43 PM ET | Delete
Two rants in less than 24 hours. Two words for ya: Calm down.In all seriousness, while the refs should be doing their jobs and they are, you have to realize that this is an incredibly fast game and some things are not going to get called. The refs have been pretty consistent in the post-lockout era on what is a hooking penalty b/c there now is a standard for it and the league especially wanted to crack down on those tugs. I'm pretty young myself at 19 but have been watching hockey live and on tv for around 11 years and over that time, calls have been generally consistent with the only major change in officiating being the pre-lockout vs the pos-lockout standards. There are times when refs will let things go and let the players play the game unless there is a blatantly clear penalty like a tripping or boarding call. They try to be consistent like that not favoring one team over the other.Now I didn't see all of last night's game to be a judge here but I think you gave the refs an "F" for their officiating last night if im not mistaken whereas Danielle Marchell and Brandon Felder were much less critical. Brandon gave them a "B". You seem to be a fan who is just frustrated when ya don't really need to be (see record of Sharks, San Jose)
November 12, 2008 7:03 PM ET | Delete
The refs are the same for all teams -- they are good, average, and bad...and don't often affect the outcome. It's too easy. Why not figure out where Thornton is... that might help your team more.
November 12, 2008 8:55 PM ET | Delete
This particular rant is to voice my overall disgust with the officiating so far this year. Yeah I'm mad, because things just seem to be getting worse. You want a different example: In the game against Dallas, Thornton gave Ribeiro a high stick during the face-off. The ref was a mere few inches away, and didn't call it. So Ribeiro was pissed and retaliated, going after Thornton with a slash directly on the hands, and that too wasn't called. Those were two very blatant penalties that happened during one play and anyone/everyone saw, except the refs apparently. Why, as fans, should we have to just live with sub-par officiating and suck it up to it's part of the game? IMO that's crap, and there's no reason that they shouldn't get complaints when it just seems to be getting worse and worse over the years.
November 12, 2008 9:22 PM ET | Delete
Great blog, I agree completely.. Also I love that the pens are one ur fav teams, and that Malkin, specifically, is one of ur favorite players, because im malkin's biggest fan, im absolutely obsessed with him. lol.. anyway, i now will hope for the sharks to do well this season
November 13, 2008 12:43 PM ET | Delete
Its also could have been a win if Boucher didn't suck in goal for you guys.
November 13, 2008 1:31 PM ET | Delete
Nikoli I don't think it is the loss because of the goalies play. He wasn't all star material but wasn't the worste form either. I don't like the way the game is called this season. Stick level to the ice is called hooking left and right (even if the puck carrier wasn't impeded) but the slashes and high sticking was ignored. More and more I am seeing the ref way off to the sides and blowing the puck dead when it is definatly live.
November 13, 2008 3:02 PM ET | Delete
WOW Chill lady.I'm going to agree that the officiating does have some problems but the problems I see are consistency. No matter how hard you try that problem will never be called. There are some good ref groups and some bad. Overall I think the refs have been just OK this year, not great, but nowhere near the bottom of the barrel where you are putting them.You want to talk about bad calls and the game against Nashville is your breaking point then you're right. There were some really weak calls against the Predators, there were at least 5 missed calls on the SHARKS. The elbow should have been called against the Preds and I'm surprised it wasn't. I've probably seen 15 games out of the 220 played so far this season (granted not a lot) and that's my take on the officiating.
November 13, 2008 3:03 PM ET | Delete
Err...problem will never be solved. Not called sorry
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