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Officials Deserve a Voice in NHL Competition Committee

June 10, 2014, 12:03 PM ET [3 Comments]
Paul Stewart
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Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

Year after year, the NHL Competition Committee recommends new rules and changes to the game that fail to hit the mark. A few of the proposals may be helpful if implemented but the majority are nothing more than fresh Bandaids on poorly written rules or knee-jerk reactions to recent controversies.

In my opinion, a big part of the problem is the fact that on-ice officials are given no seat at the table as the League tinkers with rules they are hired to enforce. When new rules do get passed, the subsequent communication of expectations and the direct coaching of the officials often leaves a lot to be desired.

People wonder why "NHL officiating is so inconsistent." It is because the guys who have to make the calls on the ice are not given a role in setting the parameters for some of the toughest calls they have to make and then are not properly instructed in how to call them and especially how to position themselves to get the best possible look. But, hey, it's easier to simply say the NHL's referees and linesmen are subpar than to actually look at the root causes of the problem.

This year's recommendations are more of the same. The most interesting part, to me, is that no one could agree on what is and isn't goaltender interference -- one of the most convoluted, contradictory and worst-written set of rules in the entire Rulebook and which have direct bearing on key calls in the Stanley Cup playoffs -- yet they are trying to put forth new ways to deconstruct these plays.

The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things that failed and expecting a different result. So how about this alternative: Start from scratch and re-write the goalie interference rule in a more coherent way, especially in areas such as defining crucial terms such as "incidental contact." Give on-ice officials a say in what is and isn't a goal in these situations and then focus heavily on the coaching aspect.

Inevitably, the proposed "solutions" the Competition Committee usually propose and the Board of Governors vote on involve taking more and more judgment out of the hands of on-ice officials and put it with the anonymous crew of TV watchers in Toronto. That way, they can give the illusion of trying to better the game when all they are really doing is passing the buck for their own failings.

Listen, when an official legitimately screws up on the ice, he should own up to it. That is both right and fair. I would not want it any other way. In the bigger picture, however, also need to give our arbiters more of a fair chance to succeed in making the sport's toughest calls by giving them both the power and the tools to do so.

Instead, we continue down the same path that inevitably leads to the same place.

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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.

Today, Stewart is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.

In addition to his blogs for HockeyBuzz every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Stewart writes a column every Wednesday for the Huffington Post.
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