Torts fined $20,000 for exposing officials.

[djsFlames]

League and officials should be publicly apologizing and thanking him, not fining him 20k.

[Robo]

Man this league is such a f###### joke every year it seems my interest in the nhl goes down another notch it's really no surprise why

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by transplant99

20K is a hefty fine (couple weeks salary or so), but he is really fortunate he wasn't suspended.

Take the officials to task all you want, but don't do it publically. That stuff should be kept between the league and the club.

He won't be receiving any favors from the stripes for a long while Im guessing.

I have to disagree with this one, I think it is awesome when he takes it publicly. He knows he is going to get fined but isn't afraid to tell it how it is!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

I sure enjoy the reffing in the world juniors. Your team just took a 5 minute penalty and you slash someone? Guess what, you get another 2 min. Call the rules by the book and enough with this game management bs.

Yup. We are Flames fans and we know the only reason Lucic did not get a cross checking penalty last night was because it was late and Flames were down 4-3.

At the World Juniors I saw the US player get two slashing penalties in the same sequence. Just because it's a delayed penalty doesn't mean the offending team can do whatever.

Remember the Swiss two penalty shots last year? The was awesome.

[calgarywinning]

I hope the NHL doesn't fine me. It could add up.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

I sure enjoy the reffing in the world juniors. Your team just took a 5 minute penalty and you slash someone? Guess what, you get another 2 min. Call the rules by the book and enough with this game management bs.

Agreed.

God it sure is a sad turn of events that the officiating has been better and more fair in an IIHF tourny than it is in the NHL. Never thought I'd say that, but it's true

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I'm still pretty annoyed at the league's response. That snake Colin Campbell releases a statement immediately condemning torts but as far as I'm concerned nobody from the league has commented on the incident itself.

I love Torts for this. Fans know it's a problem with the league, but seeing everyone from players, execs, coaches, and even the media simply ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist because they don't want to be blackballed is disgusting to me. It's killing my interest in the NHL

I've said it before and I'll say it again; as long as dinosaurs like Bettman, Campbell and Bill Daley are the guys running the show, the league is going to be stuck in this old-school mentality of thinking. Until those guys are retired out and fresh blood is brought in to give new perspectives and ideas, this is what we are stuck with.

Players, management and fans have been up in arms about officiating for years now. It's very clearly something that needs to be addressed and IMO the way things are now is driving potential and current fans away.

When you have countless people complaining about the product a company provides, a good company takes that to heart to better themselves. To see what can be done to address it and to continuously improve the product.

But this doesn't happen in the NHL. For whatever reason officiating is completely off limits when it comes to adjustments or potentially looking at ways to improve it. It also likely has something to do with the ref's union wanting to maintain the status quo. But clearly something needs to be done about it.

Good on Torts. But I'm glad he has the balls to call it like it is. Those are some massive fines. But I guess it's more important for the league to 'crackdown' on people calling out the league versus actually improving the product. Unless there is something I've missed over the past couple years, internally addressing the officiating issue seems to have done SFA.

[Singularity]

Every team should speak out against bad officiating, they can't possibly fine everyone......


.....or can they?

[FlamesAddiction]

The league should be fining officials when they make obvious errors.

Some of the officials seem to think they are the stars of the show.

[Erick Estrada]

The biggest mystery to me is how Colin Campbell is still employed by the NHL in any capacity especially after those emails came out years ago. If a T-rex would talk he would sound just like Colin Campbell.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I've said it before and I'll say it again; as long as dinosaurs like Bettman, Campbell and Bill Daley are the guys running the show, the league is going to be stuck in this old-school mentality of thinking. Until those guys are retired out and fresh blood is brought in to give new perspectives and ideas, this is what we are stuck with.

Players, management and fans have been up in arms about officiating for years now. It's very clearly something that needs to be addressed and IMO the way things are now is driving potential and current fans away.

When you have countless people complaining about the product a company provides, a good company takes that to heart to better themselves. To see what can be done to address it and to continuously improve the product.

But this doesn't happen in the NHL. For whatever reason officiating is completely off limits when it comes to adjustments or potentially looking at ways to improve it. It also likely has something to do with the ref's union wanting to maintain the status quo. But clearly something needs to be done about it.

Good on Torts. But I'm glad he has the balls to call it like it is. Those are some massive fines. But I guess it's more important for the league to 'crackdown' on people calling out the league versus actually improving the product. Unless there is something I've missed over the past couple years, internally addressing the officiating issue seems to have done SFA.

You think Team Owners and management want a parade to the box every game?

The officiating is the way it is because its what the Owners want. They want close games, they want game management, and they don't want heavy amount of penalties called. The NHL just takes the brunt of it for the teams.

Its not going to change till the owners want it changed.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The league should be fining officials when they make obvious errors.

Some of the officials seem to think they are the stars of the show.

Good luck finding refs then. There is no way they can be perfect.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Not a big fan of the reffing either but sometimes the refs are put on the spot for rules that are difficult to interpret and/or follow.

For example, I don't see what's so special about 1.5 seconds lost in the last 20 seconds? I assume it's written in the rules somewhere, but where's the cutoff? You could have easily tacked that 1.5 seconds on due to a slow timekeeping finger much earlier in the period.

[GirlySports]

We don't expect perfection. Just call the obvious.

The NHL has tried so hard to make the game entertaining and have more goals they are now scared to call penalties because it may create more goals and blowouts.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Joborule

The only recent act of this that I can recall is the Sharks/Knights Game 7 this past playoffs, where a major penalty was called for something that arguably wasn't even a penalty at all, and the Sharks in the final minutes were able to pull off a several goal comeback, and then ultimately win the game and the series. That was a mistake the NHL couldn't hide from, and changed the rules where major penalties have to be reviewed before enforcing them.

I don't think this counts as blaming the refs for making a mistake. When bad calls or missed calls lead to rule changes, it's essentially the league saying "well, it's not the referees' fault; they didn't have the benefit of X! But don't worry, now that we've added X, they'll have all the tools they need!"

... And then the tools just make things worse.

Originally Posted by Zulu29

I sure enjoy the reffing in the world juniors. Your team just took a 5 minute penalty and you slash someone? Guess what, you get another 2 min. Call the rules by the book and enough with this game management bs.

This has been my pitch for a while. Unfortunately, if this were to actually happen, teams and fans would complain ("that was a weak penalty call! you're going to make THAT call with 2 minutes left in a tied game?! Stop trying to decide the game, refs! Let the players decide!"), there would be media debates about why we're "changing the game" to make it all about power plays and drawing penalties, and the owners would demand it go back immediately. Remember the post-lockout year in 05-06 when penalties spiked? That didn't last long and all they were doing was calling more hooking penalties.

I'm still for it though, because #### those fans and #### those players and #### those teams. The rule book is the rule book. Don't complain about a soft call in the last two minutes, just keep your stick on the ice. Stop trying to cheat on the faceoff - if your first guy gets tossed and your second guy tries to cheat too, we're actually calling those now.

The problem is that this will lead to a lot more diving, unless something is done there. So there will be an entire department devoted to guys selling calls, who will review every penalty called and determine whether they believe it involved an embellishment. First time they catch you, you get a phone call. After that, it is publicly announced that you have a hearing for being a diver, and suspensions and fines will be handed out on the "repeat offender" basis. That, combined with the public shame of being labelled a cheater, should help keep the issue under control. All suspensions will be the same in the regular season as in the playoffs - if you were getting five games for it in November, you're getting 5 games for it in April. Also, we'll keep video review, include all penalties in it if you think they were embellished or a blown call, and if you ask to review a penalty and it's still a penalty, you're giving the other guys a two man advantage. The blue line extends to the ceiling so we no longer have to worry about whether there's a foot on the line or not. And there will be a full overhaul of the rules by commission that takes six full months to do it, from March to September, starting at the front of the rule book and going to the back to alter strange wording and calls that no longer fit the game (i.e. the current rule book actually says goalies get a delay of game for freezing the puck after a glove save, and there's a penalty in there for swearing). The trapezoid is removed. Players must have full possession of the puck after the red line to avoid an icing - no more tipping in a long breakout pass from your d-man.

And finally, if you get in the way of a player going after the puck he just dumped in in order to slow him down, you are getting an interference penalty because that's obviously ####ing interference why is this almost never called.

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The league should be fining officials when they make obvious errors.

Yes - I would first pay the refs double what they're making now. I would then publicly fine, suspend, and remove them from playoff action for screwing up. If the league stands by a call, it must explain why, including a statement from the referee. If the league determines a call was wrong, we still get a statement from the referee explaining what he saw and why he made that call. You have a significant amount of control over the game, you are important to our product and will be paid accordingly. But if you #### up, you are going to be held accountable.

And if it is determined that you are the sort of ref who gives out "even up" calls, you will simply be fired. That is a plague on the league.

[GirlySports]

Thats right Corsi, no other league has a let the players decide the game argument to it.

In NFL there can be pass interference on the last play of the game that extends the game.

In EPL there can be penalty kick that extends the game.

A foul is a foul.

[Stanley]

...still waiting for accountability to exist as it relates to officiating...
The NHL and refs should be apologizing on a weekly basis for the s**t officiating in this league. Not that it's all on the refs since I think the rule book itself is out of whack but there has not been any consistency in penalty calls for years now....it's pathetic.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Weitz

You think Team Owners and management want a parade to the box every game?

The officiating is the way it is because its what the Owners want. They want close games, they want game management, and they don't want heavy amount of penalties called. The NHL just takes the brunt of it for the teams.

Its not going to change till the owners want it changed.

Well then I guess that's that and this is what we get. A league that's unable to make the proper call even when it's as black and white as a simple clock issue. We should all just accept this is how it is and move on.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

What a joke this league is sometimes. Good for him for exposing these guys.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...game-comments/

He got fined for the manner in which he spoke - the man is a hothead who cant control himself but demands everyone else do. Its not the first time he has been a jerk and hothead - he deserves what he got

The NHL also needs to be accountable - and react to the situation and put in safeguards to make sure it doesnt happen again

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Burner

He got fined for the manner in which he spoke - the man is a hothead who cant control himself but demands everyone else do. Its not the first time he has been a jerk and hothead - he deserves what he got

The NHL also needs to be accountable - and react to the situation and put in safeguards to make sure it doesnt happen again

He’s passionate and goes to war for his players every day. I would imagine he’s one of the most loved coaches by players in the league.