I have a Christmas gift for all college hockey fans, espesially those
who follow the ECAC teams.
 
I was talking with Guy Arnold the other night.  He's director of
intramural sports and runs the phys. ed. program here at Clarkson.  He
told me about the following news.  It seems that the ECAC coaches do
file a report on the performance of the referee after each game.  These
reports go to the ECAC executive board.  They review them and act
accordingly.  Clarkson's AD Bill O'Flaherty (ex-hockey coach) is on this
committee.  If they have any recommendations for action to be taken
against an official, they will ask the ECAC's commissioner to make the
statement.  The board controls this really.  The commissioner just makes
the statement to make it look official.  Well, Pierre Belanger is in
trouble for his 41 penalty weekend when Cornell played St. Lawrence and
then Clarkson.  The executive board has recommended that Pierre be
SUSPENDED without pay.  I don't know if this has been announced yet,
when the suspension will start or how long it will last.  The board has
wanted to do something for a while to deflate Pierre's ego but was not
in the position to do so.  They couldn't afford to lose him.  I guess
they can now.  Guy Arnold said that Pierre is a capable ref, he used to
ref in the WHA, but has a need to be the center of attention, something
which we've all known for a long time.
 
So I hope that this message spreads some good Holiday cheer to all
subscribers.  I know that more than a few of you have been asking Santa
for this present for a while.  I guess there really is a Santa Claus, or
atleast some justice.  If anyone can dig up any more info on this I'd be
real interested to hear it.
 
Mike Zak
Clarkson '87, '90, ...