MikeM and other fans have talked about the Saturday AF/MC game at
   length and some about the job of the rookie referees.  Though we have
   a number of referees on HOCKEY-L, we don't appear to have any
   Division I referee participants.  It's been 2 or 3 years since I've
   written an article on referees, so I thought this a good chance to
   hi-light the efforts of Mike Tuell and get some of his thoughts on
   his recent AF/MC game and Hockey East refereeing in general.  MikeT
   was very kind to grant a 30+ minute interview earlier this week.
   (All MikeT comments are paraphrased;  he talks faster than my pen
   moves :-) All comments not attributed to MikeT are mine .. wts)...
 
The on-ice officiating crew at the non-conference Air Force - Merrimack
College game last Saturday night were Hockey East "rookie" referees Mike
Tuell and Jim Villandry along with linesman Steve Arnold.  Tuell has
been a linesman for Hockey East for a few years now and was an emergency
fill-in referee for one game last season when the scheduled referees
could not make it to Alfond Arena.  Some attribute this to the weather,
but I think the scheduled referees drove too close to the State House in
Augusta and got stuck in the mud.  But I digress ...
 
This was Tuell's first refereeing assignment this year by Hockey East.
Tuell says this is the first year in Hockey East for the other referee,
Villandry and linesman Arnold.
 
When asked how the officiating team worked together, Tuell replied, "It
went extremely well".  Tuell spoke of the pre-game on-ice officials
meeting that emphasized positioning and general communication.  In
addition, much of each intermission was spent analyzing their
performance.  Better and timely eye-contact among the officials was
emphasized here.
 
When asked about a play where one player, a player with a reputation for
taking "a dive", may have drawn a penalty with what looked like a dive
to some, Tuell replied, "We didn't know the players from either team
that well.  I'll suggest we were better off because we did not have a
built-in prejudice".
 
Tuell also related a story about another play that might have been
misinterpreted by some.  "There was a cross-ice pass to a wing.  The
defender lined-up the wing.  The wing, with the puck in the vicinity,
chose not to play the puck.  The wing was then decked with a perfect
hip-check.  Some called for an interference penalty".  This reporter
offered "It wasn't interference because the puck was in the immediate
vicinity"?  Tuell replied "Not exactly.  A player must be given an
opportunity to play the puck.  The key was that the offensive player had
the opportunity to play the puck.  I wasn't going to penalize the
defender when the offensive player *chose* not to play the puck".
 
Much has been said on HOCKEY-L about the apparently incorrect
non-substitution on the penalties assessed at 14:14 of the 3rd period.
When asked, Tuell quickly responded "We blew that one.  I can't defend
what happened.  The offsetting minors should have cancelled with the
play continuing at 5-on-4 instead of 4-on-4 for 2 minutes and then
5-on-4.  The penalty timekeeper just put up all the penalties and we
didn't correct it.  I should have.  It is a mistake I won't make again.
The rule is clear".
 
"The Hockey East Supervisor of Officials, Brendan Sheehy, was there to
observe the game as was Ned Bunyan.  We discussed the game and our
performance afterwards".
 
Our discussion then strayed from the game to Hockey East officiating in
general...
 
Tuell said, "Hockey East gives a lot of support to its officials.  There
is always at least one representative of the Supervisor of Officials
evaluating us at every game.  Besides pre-season training and constant
evaluation, we have a mid-year meeting to make sure we're doing the best
job possible".
 
When this reporter suggested Hockey East (finally) has something of a
youth movement in officiating, Tuell replied, "Yes, there are a number
of younger officials now.  I think Hockey East officiating is very, very
good.  It's great for people like Jim and Steve and me to have an
opportunity like last Saturday night.  I don't know when my next
opportunity will come;  that's not up to me".
 
"Have you noticed how Hockey East pairs the younger guys with an
experienced ref?  For example, Jeff Bunyan is paired with Frank Cole.
What a great opportunity that is for Jeff.  Frank is a great referee and
great to learn from".
 
This reporter offered that Tuell really enjoyed refereeing and asked how
the sometimes adversarial crowd affected him.  "You feel really close to
your officiating partners.  You are like Army buddies going to war".
 
When asked for any final comments, Tuell replied, "In my refereeing
clinics I always tell the people to prepare, to focus on doing your best
job and to always act professionally because you don't know who is
watching and who they will talk to.  We've talked about your hockey
group and the internet before, but I did not guess that you would hear
so much about that far away game"!
 
Yours in college hockey,
 
Wayne Smith
The College Hockey Discussion List administrator
Systems Group - CAPS              BITNET/CREN:  wts@maine
University of Maine System        internet:     [log in to unmask]