Couldn't hold my tongue on this thread any longer.  First, I have to agree
that the idea of introducing the red line to college hockey is reprehensible
for all the reasons already noted; second, it is my firm belief that proper
enforcement of the rules already on the books would be more than sufficient
to a) speed up the game and b) prevent a whole host of injuries.
 
To those observations I would add the following re: one ref or two:  empower
ALL THREE officials to call any and all penalties.  Now, before you tear my
head off for this heretical thought, consider:  football already has almost
as many officials as there are players, and it hasn't diminished the
popularity of the sport one bit.  Likewise with basketball, where the almost
incessant whistle-blowing by all the zebras on the court for what are, to me,
invisible infractions has slowed the pace of the game to a crawl, but doesn't
keep the fans from filling the stands for games, or kids from pursuing
round-ball scholarships.  Both sports enjoy lucrative television coverage,
filling the schools' coffers with extra cash -- compare that to the meager TV
exposure for college (and even pro) hockey.  It would take some getting used
to, for the players, fans, and the officials themselves, but you can't tell
me that three pairs of eyes watching for rules violations wouldn't clean the
game up considerably.  A conscientious effort by the leagues to form
compatible, cohesive triads of officials would be a prerequisite, and as I
said, it would take a while for the system to jell, but I think it could
work.
 
And that doesn't even include the idea of an instant-replay official... !?!
 
O.K. -- fire away!
 
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