With all the concussion issues (still sucks that Marc Savard will never play again), I think any hit where the principle point of contact is the head should result in a penalty. There was a way for Del Zotto to hit Neil without making contact with his head.

raffie Torres hit was clean to. you come across the ice w your head down, you need to get dropped. This is the NHL playoffs folks, not squirt house league hockey

It's funny, watch the videos on Scott Stevens who is celebrated as one of the best checkers in league history. The majority of these hits would be suspension worthy these days. Many of them are blind-side hits to the head (where he leaves his feet).

Not the greatest quality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPBjt...eature=related

Oh, that Stevens hit on Lindros that basically ended the best part of Lindros's career would result in a suspension these days. I get the crackdown though, I really do.

I have no problem with the crackdown either. I do have trouble when players get penalized for big, clean hits. It's just unfortunate that the officating in the NHL rivals that of the WWE on many occasions.

Nail on the head there. Officiating in the playoffs tends to be tight in the first period, less tight in the second period, and completely non-existent in the third when a game is tight. All bets are off in the overtime. What's worse is the supplemental disciplinary process.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an un-biased observer, but I stand by what I wrote earlier.

I heard a former player speaking about the officiating today, and it goes back to the NHL wanting robots as officials, as opposed to the guys from the past, not all of whom were even particularly good refs, but at least they had a feel for the game, and knew when to crack down to keep control, and knew when to let the players play.

Don't forget, the guys from the past did the job all by themselves. Obviously it's easier for one guy to dictate the flow of the game. The flip side was the amount of stuff that was missed during these games.
Back then I really think it was an unwritten rule that the whistles were put away after the 5 minute mark of the 3rd period (especially in the playoffs).

Kerry Fraser and Don Koharski were probably the only two ref's I ever liked seeing walk onto the ice in playoff games.

Donutgate might be the best scandal in NHL history.

I'm not looking at the youtube link in the hopes that it can only be Jim Schoenfeld telling Koharsky to "have another doughnut, you fat pig."

:tro:

Why is there another famous Don Koharski moment that I'm missing? :rolleyes:

Well, the part where he sucked as a ref for his entire career? There's always that. Kerry Fraser or Bill Mccready he was not.

Not a fan of McCreary at all. Van Hellemond was pretty good for a while, then lived off that reputation for about 20 years of mediocre work.

No one better than the Big Whistle!!!!!!!!!

:tro:


we always cringed if he was calling a caps game.

Paul Devorski was also great...Paul Stewart, while not a great ref, always had a great feel for the game and was great at defusing a situation that was getting out of hand. Some of these knuckleheads now are useless.
That being said, I'll put the NHL officials up against any other sports league in terms of quality.

again i am not a hockey fan, but have enjoyed seeing the Blackbirds knocked out. Any chance the Yotes have a chance against Nashville.

Tough match up for the Coyotes. Actually a tough match up for anyone against the Preds. Rinne, IMO, is the best goalie in the league.