Maybe it's about time to address the whole issue of officiating here.  Yes,
referees do miss calls.  They are human, and they make mistakes.  I
sincerely don't believe ANY of the officials -- Belanger, Malinosky, Cerbo,
Gallagher, Amian, and the multitude of others -- have a lax attitude towards
their job.  Officiating is a VERY difficult and unforgiving duty.  These men
are putting themselves on the line to try and keep the game of hockey in
a respectable state.  Yet it seems like no one has any qualms about throwing
the entire blame of a bad game on the referee.  I mean, I could see the
average no-brained fan yelling at the officials, having no idea what the
heck is going on anyway.  But I figure that this mailing list contains a
good number of people -- educated people -- who know hockey pretty well, and
should have a respect for the sport, and the difficulty involved in
officiating such a fast-moving and often rough game.  "So then the guy
shouldn't ref if he can't do it right," you say.  Well, then we wouldn't
have any officials at all, and there goes college hockey.  These guys are
the best (or near the best) that the ECAC and other NCAA conferences can
find.  Not anyone can ref college hockey.
 
Having officiated myself for the past two and a half years, I can draw on
my own experience.  Watching the game as a spectator is one point of view,
and vastly different from the one I get on the ice.  Up in the stands, you
can see everything from above.  On the ice, you are at the level of the
players, and can easily miss things that may be obvious from above.  Then
there's the myriad of thoughts always running through your head: "white is
going this way, black is going this way"...  "he just high-sticked the puck,
but it went to an opponent"...  "he just checked that guy with his elbow up
a bit too high, do I call it?"...  "there's an attacking player in the
crease, but he's being held in by a defending player"...  "the puck just
landed on the back of the net, who was the last to touch it?"...  "the puck
went in the net off an attacking player's skate.  Was it propelled, or
did it just deflect?"...  "the puck is headed right at me, gotta duck!"...
"was that last penalty I called a good one?"...  "the coach is really getting
on my nerves"........    the list goes on.
 
First, it takes time to LEARN all the rules of hockey, which entails reading
and re-reading the rule book many times.  Then you've got to take that
knowledge and bring it on the ice with you.  You've got to put all your
problems and events of that day behind, and concentrate on the game.  Then
there's all the judgement calls -- things that the rule book can't help you
with.  You see something happen, and have got to make a lightening-fast
decision, and then stick behind that decision.  Sometimes I don't like the
call I made, and the players are displeased....   what can I do?  I'm
human.  I'm always trying with my greatest effort to make the best possible
calls.  It just doesn't always happen that way.
 
My goal is to be an ECAC official in a few years (probably more than a few).
Yeah, I know, I must be crazy.  Well, I really enjoy hockey, especially the
officiating aspect.  So what am I saying?  Well, take it easy on the refs.
Next time you're about to yell at official for missing a call, just remember,
he's only human.
 
---
Kenny Zalewski -- Head Referee, RPI Intramural Ice Hockey Program
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 65 13th Street, 1st floor, Troy, NY, 12180
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