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ECAC officiating

Re: ECAC officiating

As a former college player turned ref/linesman, it is a hard thing to say "I wish the refs would just stay out of the way". I remember while playing and how frustrating it would be when refs would get in the way along the walls. Fans do not realize that there are 14 people on the ice moving at an extremely high speed. Linesman and refs have about 10 feet to work with along the boards where they are supposed to stay out of the way of players and a puck. As referees, we hate it just as much as everyone else when we get in the way because clearly that's not what our intention is.

ECAC and AHA officials do work both leagues generally. Referees wear nameplates due to league rules, not our choice, do you really think any person would want their name being chanted by a couple thousand people when they blow a call? Also, when referees do make mistakes, they are internally "notified" of this by not receiving more games or taken off assignments.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

slewwwwwfoot! said:
Anyone have and information about how league refs are coordinated, and how often refs, well, ref, in multiple leagues? I was surprised to see Zelasko and Durfee here - maybe Murphy too, though the name is so generic, who knows - because we see them quite frequently in the AHA as well. Assuming it is the same Jeff Zelasko and Jay Durfee.

Or are these the guys that are HE or ECAC rejects?
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I don't see how they could be ECAC rejects, given they ref in the ECAC. I'm sure, when it comes to multiple leagues, though, that the officiating directors of each league are aware of this and coordinate their work accordingly. Paul Stewart is probably in good communication with the Hockey East officiating director in the case of Millea, and the AHA officiating director in the cases of Zelasko and Durfee.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

snipeshow10 said:
As a former college player turned ref/linesman, it is a hard thing to say "I wish the refs would just stay out of the way". I remember while playing and how frustrating it would be when refs would get in the way along the walls. Fans do not realize that there are 14 people on the ice moving at an extremely high speed. Linesman and refs have about 10 feet to work with along the boards where they are supposed to stay out of the way of players and a puck. As referees, we hate it just as much as everyone else when we get in the way because clearly that's not what our intention is.

ECAC and AHA officials do work both leagues generally. Referees wear nameplates due to league rules, not our choice, do you really think any person would want their name being chanted by a couple thousand people when they blow a call? Also, when referees do make mistakes, they are internally "notified" of this by not receiving more games or taken off assignments.
Click to expand...

As a soccer ref I can sympathize - I don't get in the way as often and usually have a lot more space to work with, but internal accountability isn't really appropriate at the higher levels of play. Referees that are under strict scrutiny by tons of fans who make big mistakes need to be disciplined transparently. It would quiet a lot of people down if the administration acknowledged when referees make mistakes, commented and acted on them once in a while publicly. We don't get to see who has or hasn't been admonished for their poor work, and that is what makes for frustrated fans.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

I feel like the more recent additions to the ECAC reffing staff annoy me much less than the old guard of officials like Dell and the Murphys. However, this may just be due to fimilarity breeding contempt.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

Most of the linesmen are tolerable, even if there needs to be a class on how to have a quick faceoff after icing. The worst of the bunch has to be Mike Emanatian. I think he was the one that started the stupid fist-bump stuff. He also used to work the AHL games in Albany.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

Here is the list of the guys you love to hate. You can pick an choose who you like and dislike.


REFEREES
Baker, Mike
Benedetto, Tim
Carusone, Joe
Dell, Alex
Dumas, Harry
Durfee, Jay
Ernst, Eric
Feola, Peter
Gilbert, Dean
Gravallese, John
Hicks, Bryan
Kotyra, Tim
Leonard, Rich
Litterio, Nick
McDonald, Chip
Millea, Jack
Murphy, Dan
Murphy, John
O'Brien, Andy
Petrus, Andy
Ritchie, Bob
St. Lawrence, Bob
Torgerson, Pete
Wahl, Derek
Whittemore, Scott
Zelasko, Jeff


LINESMEN
Boylan, Leo
Briggs, Jim
Brown, Dave
Caie, Brian
Carissimo, Tory
Cooke, Glen
Durfee, Jay
Emanatian, Mike
Funaro, Craig
Harper, Jim
Lyons, Bill
Mann, Andrew
Patry, Richard
Petrus, Andy
Piti, Christopher
Pleau, Michael
Prim, Scott
Pruzak, Justin
Reed, Brett
Riegert, Matt
Shufelt, Stephen
Simeon, Paul
Sullivan, Marc
Taggart, Dan
Testa, Joe
 
Re: ECAC officiating

hockeyguy said:
Here is the list of the guys you love to hate. You can pick an choose who you like and dislike.


REFEREES
Baker, Mike
Dell, Alex
Feola, Peter
Kotyra, Tim
McDonald, Chip
Murphy, Dan
Murphy, John
Click to expand...

Odds are pretty much everyone who has a referee they "hate" will pick someone off of this list. They've been around a lot longer than anyone else, and the influx of new refereeing talent is probably the #1 indication that Paul Stewart is indeed trying to get his job done effectively. Now if only he could rotate out the old guard a little more often... For me it's Baker, McDonald, and J. Murphy.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

StayPuftMMcu said:
Odds are pretty much everyone who has a referee they "hate" will pick someone off of this list. They've been around a lot longer than anyone else, and the influx of new refereeing talent is probably the #1 indication that Paul Stewart is indeed trying to get his job done effectively. Now if only he could rotate out the old guard a little more often... For me it's Baker, McDonald, and J. Murphy.
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I don't see Bryan Hicks on this list. :eek: However, you pretty much hit the nail on the head.

I believe I've also seen some of the linesmen try out a game with the orange. Taggart comes to mind for this year.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

Larriecat and I may be the only ones around old enough to remember Giles Threadgold. Not only did he have his name on the back of his sweater, it was in gold! One thing folks forget about when it comes to the officials "getting in the way" is that the glass is much higher now than it used to be. Years ago, linesmen and referees (and there are more of them on the ice now with the four man system) could grab the top of the glass and hoist themselves up to avoid pucks along the wall. Now they've got to time the hop if they can.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

LynahFan said:
Do you know for a fact that the league never tells the refs that they made a mistake? There could be a difference between what they say publicly and what they say internally - and I wouldn't blame them a bit if there were.
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If you want to defuse controversy, saying 'we made a mistake' publicly is essential to the process. It is the difference between taking on the responsibility to improve your product in a way that is obvious and transparent to all constituencies, and denying responsibility.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

StayPuftMMcu said:
internal accountability isn't really appropriate at the higher levels of play. Referees that are under strict scrutiny by tons of fans, who make big mistakes, need to be disciplined transparently. It would quiet a lot of people down if the administration acknowledged when referees make mistakes, commented and acted on them once in a while publicly. We don't get to see who has or hasn't been admonished for their poor work, and that is what makes for frustrated fans.
Click to expand...

Yes. Whole-hearted concurrence.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

LynahFan said:
Do you know for a fact that the league never tells the refs that they made a mistake? There could be a difference between what they say publicly and what they say internally - and I wouldn't blame them a bit if there were.
Click to expand...
Thats soooooo condescending !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: ECAC officiating

elsid said:
Larriecat and I may be the only ones around old enough to remember Giles Threadgold.
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Me three. He was legendary -- much reviled by fans in his heyday, but I kind of miss him.

elsid said:
... the glass is much higher now than it used to be. Years ago, linesmen and referees (and there are more of them on the ice now with the four man system) could grab the top of the glass and hoist themselves up to avoid pucks along the wall.
Click to expand...

Interesting point. I'm trying to recall if I saw this evasive action at Meehan in the good old days.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

Giles was a beauty. Big time football official and baseball umpire....controversial in those sports as well. Giles' energy torwards the game was much more positive than the officials working today. Alot of the officials look like they are angry the minute they go out for warm ups. I hope they are not as miserable in real life as they are on the ice.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

The farthest I go back was Harry Ammian. I was in my early years, but even I knew that he was terrible.


What if we had the refs for today's game against Princeton, Refs: Ammian, Noeth Linesman: Threadgold, Piere Belanger and if one of them got hurt, Jeff Fulton waiting in the wings. :D
 
Re: ECAC officiating

My "officials" story of the weekend came on Friday night near the end of the SLU vs. Dartmouth game at Hanover. SLU was down 3-2 and had the goalie pulled. With about 30 seconds left, SLU shoots the puck into the net that bounces out. All the SLU players have their arms in the air celebrating, and Dartmouth proceeds to take the puck and score in the empty SLU net. None of the four officials on the ice or the goal judge saw the puck go into the net. The officials have a little meeting at center ice and decide to review the play and see if the goal was scored. They go over to the penalty box where Dartmouth has a big flat screen TV for reviews that about half the people in the rink can see. They try to replay the goal, and the screen goes black. They try it a few more times and it still doesn't work. (At this point, I am thinking we are dealing with a modern day Ned Harkness stunt!...) The officials were getting jumpy and didn't know how to handle the situation. Without the review available, they ruled (correctly) that the play had to stand as they originally called it with no goal for SLU and the open net goal for Dartmouth counted. BTW, the referees were Whittemore and Graber. Whittemore is bad and getting worse. He does have a little of that goofy Pierre Belanger appearance / arrogance about him.

After the game, the play was reviewed on the team films, and was clearly a goal. Anyone sitting at that end of the rink, said it was in. Dartmouth should be embarrassed by the whole thing but doubt they are. It does seem odd that the goal judge didn't see it go in and the replay camera malfunctioned. From talking to the Dartmouth folks sitting at that end, it was very clear that the puck went in the net.

BTW....I am pretty sure Paul Stewart was at the game.
 
Re: ECAC officiating

hockeyguy said:
how was the weekend? were their any screw ups? who saw what guys and how did they do?
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Fridays game against Quinnipiac there were a couple non calls which were made that were clearly penalties on QU, also a couple of the Union penalties were ticky tacky. I'm a homer though. I did think it was interesting that Kotyra called all 8 penalties and the other ref Dumas did not raise his hand at all.
 
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