Ian Kennish <[log in to unmask]> in response to Jeffrey T. Anbinder's note
about the game-deciding goal (in a 2-1 game) scored by Harvard on a power
play resulting from a penalty called on a Cornell fan says
 
>Ironically, the exact same thing happened at Cornell last year. The refs
>issued a warning to the fans after the warm-ups, but some idiot threw his
>fish on the ice late in the first, and Harvard quickly converted on the
>subsequent Big Red bench minor.
>        The game ended 6-5, Harvard. When will the fans learn?
>        Great point, though. And it'd be a terrific way for a couple of
>daring supporters to get their boys an early power play on the road...
 
Shouldn't the real issue here be what level of discretion the officials
have and exercise in making these calls?  The rule book seems to give them
the option to call or not call a delay of game.  Does anyone know what
instructions on-ice officials are given by the league?
 
There was no need at all for the penalty to be called in this weekend's game.
After the warning at the start of the game, the solitary object thrown during
the warmup before the second period had no effect on the game and caused no
delay.  It was an essentially gratuitous call made simply for reasons of ego
or rigidity by Gallagher or Melanson, or because of poor league guidelines.
Even the initial warning was made more for old time's sake than any major
need to prevent further trouble.  The Harvard game at Lynah has been well
under control for years.  This penalty should be reserved for situations that
truly warrant it:  repeated violations of warnings or large quantities of
debris on the ice after the initial warning.  It's unrealistic to expect to
control every person in a crowd of 4000 (in hockey or in life more broadly)
and inappropriate to penalize others for the action of one or a small number
of fans.  The league should think through the reasons for imposing the delay
of game penalty and what is gained and lost.  Who is hurt by it?  Friday, it
was the Cornell team, all Cornell fans, and other ECAC teams competing with
Harvard for a top spot in the league standings and an NCAA bid.
 
--
Chuck Henderson  <[log in to unmask]>