On Fri, 19 Nov, Charles Shub writes:
 
>> with the nhl referees on strike, it seems the cream of the college
>> officials are calling NHL games.  Unfortunately, that leaves some
>> college games scraping the bottom of the barrel.  At Air Force tonight
>> we had WCHA folk rostered as linesmen doing the refereeing and it showed.
 
3 Hockey East refs have been assigned to the NHL replacement ref pool:
Cole, Leavitt, and Taylor.  As a long-time Hockey East fan, I assure you,
these three are NOT the cream of the crop!  I do agree, however, that
siphoning off officials from the college ranks does deplete the pool of
available refs and I can't help but think it will effect quality if it goes
on for any length of time.
 
As to linesmen being upgraded to referee, in the Hockey East I've seen some
excellent officiating done by upgraded linesmen.  John Gravellese and Bobby
Paquette are two examples.  Bobby's first game as a ref was one of the finest
I've ever witnessed.  (He's now doing AHL games and we see him quite often
at the Providence Civic Center doing Providence Bruins games.)  Gravellese is
another example.  He typically controls the game well without interferring and
allows a wide open, hard hitting style.  I know many disagree with this loose
style of officiating, but I prefer it.  Just my humble opinion, for what it's
worth...
 
-- Ron
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