Exactly. Ppl don't pay $250 a ticket to see what kind of egomaniac the ref is. He's supposed to call penalties, drop pucks, and blow whistles. Not act like a tough guy and berate players. Show me a nfl ref that does that? The refs should just make the right calls as often as they can and not hold any bias for anyone, good or bad. That's the main problem with the NHL is that it seems fixed. As if every ref is a WWE ref and that's why they struggle in U.S. markets. The U.S. Want a sport with rules, not a sport where some rules apply, sometimes, if the ref likes you.

Stew, I like all your articles but this is complete nonsense and confirms that the NHL has the lowest standard of officiating. The fact that you seem to brag about that fact is truly sad and if the league wants to do what's best for the sport they would can every guy with your mindset towards officiating in the NHL and bring in guys who will call the games by the book with no bias and who remain completely impartial. The standard should be NFL not WWE
- SmielmaN

*Slow hand clap*

I was listening to the NHL radio station the other day and they were talking about officiating and how they select and bring in a lot of former junior or collegiate players to ref the game - now i get that that obviously makes sense as they are great skaters and know the game well but i wonder if they brought in guys that didnt play at such a high level if they'd put out a better quality ref...maybe because they weren't players they'd be able to see the game from a refs eyes versus a players eyes. But then again maybe they need to see it from a players perspective too...i dunno.

Do NFL or NBA refs generally come from college athletes?

Paul, we need more refs like you, I am a 43 year season tix holder for the Chicago BlackHawks currently. Iwas and am a fan of you're , Kevin Mcguire's , Gordon Donnelly and any other Ref that actually played the game in a pro level. I do not agree with the way today's game is going. I do not like the instigator rule and a move to get fighting out of the game. It has/ and will always be part of it. That is what makes hockey so special, is that it has always let the players settle it theirselves unlike other sports. Problem is that too many of the mini van driving mommy's do not want little Joey to play the old way. Keep the kid home or let him play soccer or something.Kids should be taught the basics , but once they get to the junior and pro level, let the greatest game be how it was made to be played with no tinkering. If ya get rung, answer it back cleanly or square off, no high sticks, slew footing or checks from behind. I miss guys like Orlando Kurtanbach, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Al Secord,Bugsy Watson, Bob Probert, ect, ect,ect. Those guys played hard and honest with in the lines. That being said, I agree , Brandon , shut up and play, and with that being said again, Brandon Prust is the type of player that the Chicago BlackHawks sorely miss ....... Old school hockey! Keep up the good work Paul.... Enjoy your retirement Buddy!

Paul, we need more refs like you, I am a 43 year season tix holder for the Chicago BlackHawks currently. Iwas and am a fan of you're , Kevin Mcguire's , Gordon Donnelly and any other Ref that actually played the game in a pro level. I do not agree with the way today's game is going. I do not like the instigator rule and a move to get fighting out of the game. It has/ and will always be part of it. That is what makes hockey so special, is that it has always let the players settle it theirselves unlike other sports. Problem is that too many of the mini van driving mommy's do not want little Joey to play the old way. Keep the kid home or let him play soccer or something.Kids should be taught the basics , but once they get to the junior and pro level, let the greatest game be how it was made to be played with no tinkering. If ya get rung, answer it back cleanly or square off, no high sticks, slew footing or checks from behind. I miss guys like Orlando Kurtanbach, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Al Secord,Bugsy Watson, Bob Probert, ect, ect,ect. Those guys played hard and honest with in the lines. That being said, I agree , Brandon , shut up and play, and with that being said again, Brandon Prust is the type of player that the Chicago BlackHawks sorely miss ....... Old school hockey! Keep up the good work Paul.... Enjoy your retirement Buddy!
- wonthecup10

While i agree with some of what you say - Gordie Howe, Bob Probert etc did not alwasy play honest within the lines...they threw elbows like it was nobodys business and laid a number of hits that in todays game we'd consider dirty/reckless.

I know the game has changed and i personally think a lot of it has to do with the equipment and speed of the game but to say 'well back in the good ole days it was a cleaner game' really isnt true. We're seeing more and more evidence of this in guys passing away at young ages (probert) or having serious issues due to concussions etc.

I was listening to the NHL radio station the other day and they were talking about officiating and how they select and bring in a lot of former junior or collegiate players to ref the game - now i get that that obviously makes sense as they are great skaters and know the game well but i wonder if they brought in guys that didnt play at such a high level if they'd put out a better quality ref...maybe because they weren't players they'd be able to see the game from a refs eyes versus a players eyes. But then again maybe they need to see it from a players perspective too...i dunno.

Do NFL or NBA refs generally come from college athletes?
- DirtyDozen

Hockey is one of the few sports that officials need more skill than other sports. Think about it football officials, baseball umps, soccer officials, NBA officials just run back and forth. Hockey officials have to have the ability to skate with the players for the whole game. Who better to put out there then former players who already have one of the most important skill set?

On top of that refs that were former players have a better feel for the game IMO. They know what's a penalty and whats not, they also know that the game is heated and emotional so when it comes to dealing with players they have a better handle on how to deal with them.

Watson let some swear words fly and it hurt your feelings? Poor baby. Maybe your coach can buy you a slushie to soothe you.

While I completely agree that Prust made a fool of himself and was over the line, what I really don't like in this particular case is that kind of comment. A player should not "get his feeling hurts" for being called a coward and a piece of poop, but a player cannot do the same to a referee or he (often) get ejected/penalized.

It should go both way : either the ref can penalize/eject players for this kind of behaviour, but then they should ALWAYS stays professional and NEVER respond/goad players the same way. Or they can responds in kind, but then should apply the same "live and let live" and don't penalize/eject the player for doing so.

So one way or the other. Now it looks like they have a free pass to do what they penalize others players for doing.

I think they just injure a random number of chickens in various fashions before each playoff game. Every time one bleeds out or dies from its injury the next play that can be called a penalty gets called, anything goes during the suffering. Big checken dinner after the game.

While I completely agree that Prust made a fool of himself and was over the line, what I really don't like in this particular case is that kind of comment. A player should not "get his feeling hurts" for being called a coward and a piece of poop, but a player cannot do the same to a referee or he (often) get ejected/penalized.

It should go both way : either the ref can penalize/eject players for this kind of behaviour, but then they should ALWAYS stays professional and NEVER respond/goad players the same way. Or they can responds in kind, but then should apply the same "live and let live" and don't penalize/eject the player for doing so.

So one way or the other. Now it looks like they have a free pass to do what they penalize others players for doing.
- Popofjc

But that isn't close to being true.

If Watson did in fact say what Prust said he said then it is going to cost him plenty. Prust will still be under contract Watson might get fired. If you think there is no consequence for an officials actions you are very misguided. Officials on all levels get fined, suspended, removed from games. It is no different in the NHL. You just don't hear about it because it is done privately out of the public forum which is why there is such a big issue with the way Prust handled it.

But that isn't close to being true.

If Watson did in fact say what Prust said he said then it is going to cost him plenty. Prust will still be under contract Watson might get fired. If you think there is no consequence for an officials actions you are very misguided. Officials on all levels get fined, suspended, removed from games. It is no different in the NHL. You just don't hear about it because it is done privately out of the public forum which is why there is such a big issue with the way Prust handled it.
- Stripes77

I partly agree with you. Prust should not have gone public, that's for sure. But about the ref consequences for his words, what is the most frustrating is that SINCE it's keep secret and all, without the league admitting anything, in the public eye it looks like only the player was at fault, and maybe made all of it up, and only he get criticized.

If Prust is right (and I think he most probably is, like Elliote Friedman cited on Sportsnet, you cannot make all of those insults up from nothing), then the ref should not escape blameless in the public eye.

I partly agree with you. Prust should not have gone public, that's for sure. But about the ref consequences for his words, what is the most frustrating is that SINCE it's keep secret and all, without the league admitting anything, in the public eye it looks like only the player was at fault, and maybe made all of it up, and only he get criticized.

If Prust is right (and I think he most probably is, like Elliote Friedman cited on Sportsnet, you cannot make all of those insults up from nothing), then the ref should not escape blameless in the public eye.
- Popofjc

This all escalated from Prust acting like a damn fool. It started in the 1st and started again in the 3rd. Prust acting like a clown started the circus he was the opening act, Watson might have played a part in it halfway through but Prust started and concluded it with his comments to the media after (while also donating his elbow pad to the Lightning bench)

This all escalated from Prust acting like a damn fool. It started in the 1st and started again in the 3rd. Prust acting like a clown started the circus he was the opening act, Watson might have played a part in it halfway through but Prust started and concluded it with his comments to the media after (while also donating his elbow pad to the Lightning bench)
- Stripes77

Maybe but that's not at all what we were talking about. We were talking about if it's okay for referee to do name-calling and goading like Watson did. Nobody here is defending what Prust did in that game.

Maybe but that's not at all what we were talking about. We were talking about if it's okay for referee to do name-calling and goading like Watson did. Nobody here is defending what Prust did in that game.
- Popofjc

There was no goading though. If there was Prust would have been sent to the showers right away at least IMO.

Maybe but that's not at all what we were talking about. We were talking about if it's okay for referee to do name-calling and goading like Watson did. Nobody here is defending what Prust did in that game.
- Popofjc

I think naturally some poop talking between players and refs go on regularly. Imagine a player getting called on something he thought he didn't do. I can only imagine the "open your (frank)ing eyes", "call a fair game you 'xyz' " , "youre a hack" kinda poop that the refs take. If the refs endure all that b.s. from the players, let 'em talk back the same way. let the refs tell 'em "youre a 13th forward on most nhl lineups, sit your (frank)ing ass down" etc. I'm not saying any of this happened directly from the prust/Watson incident, but I can't imagine ANY ref in the nhl going off on a tirade like the one prust described, without the ref being provoked as well. Maybe a few of the comments were true, but after Watson had put up w/ prust's bullpoop, I don't blame him. Prust's actions/ behavior were completely inappropriate/ uncalled for. And same goes for Watson IF what prust said is ONE HUNDRED percent true.

My grand point, I'm gonna guess somewhere along the lines prust got provoked (be it by a player of ref, gonna guess player though), started acting like a jagoff, ref might have said something stupid to prust which pissed him off, and it all went to hell from there.

I just have trouble believing that prust did nothing, and tried ignoring the ref, and the ref kept biting his head off with those comments that prust claimed he made.

I think naturally some poop talking between players and refs go on regularly. Imagine a player getting called on something he thought he didn't do. I can only imagine the "open your (frank)ing eyes", "call a fair game you 'xyz' " , "youre a hack" kinda poop that the refs take. If the refs endure all that b.s. from the players, let 'em talk back the same way. let the refs tell 'em "youre a 13th forward on most nhl lineups, sit your (frank)ing ass down" etc. I'm not saying any of this happened directly from the prust/Watson incident, but I can't imagine ANY ref in the nhl going off on a tirade like the one prust described, without the ref being provoked as well. Maybe a few of the comments were true, but after Watson had put up w/ prust's bullpoop, I don't blame him. Prust's actions/ behavior were completely inappropriate/ uncalled for. And same goes for Watson IF what prust said is ONE HUNDRED percent true.

My grand point, I'm gonna guess somewhere along the lines prust got provoked (be it by a player of ref, gonna guess player though), started acting like a jagoff, ref might have said something stupid to prust which pissed him off, and it all went to hell from there.

I just have trouble believing that prust did nothing, and tried ignoring the ref, and the ref kept biting his head off with those comments that prust claimed he made.
- benjichronic

It does at the college level at least (I can attest to that) but its only goes so far. There is good natured ribbing, and some protesting but there is a line. Prust IMO crossed that line and Watson let him know about it is what I think happened. Only time will tell for sure.

I think naturally some poop talking between players and refs go on regularly. Imagine a player getting called on something he thought he didn't do. I can only imagine the "open your (frank)ing eyes", "call a fair game you 'xyz' " , "youre a hack" kinda poop that the refs take. If the refs endure all that b.s. from the players, let 'em talk back the same way. let the refs tell 'em "youre a 13th forward on most nhl lineups, sit your (frank)ing ass down" etc. I'm not saying any of this happened directly from the prust/Watson incident, but I can't imagine ANY ref in the nhl going off on a tirade like the one prust described, without the ref being provoked as well. Maybe a few of the comments were true, but after Watson had put up w/ prust's bullpoop, I don't blame him. Prust's actions/ behavior were completely inappropriate/ uncalled for. And same goes for Watson IF what prust said is ONE HUNDRED percent true.

My grand point, I'm gonna guess somewhere along the lines prust got provoked (be it by a player of ref, gonna guess player though), started acting like a jagoff, ref might have said something stupid to prust which pissed him off, and it all went to hell from there.

I just have trouble believing that prust did nothing, and tried ignoring the ref, and the ref kept biting his head off with those comments that prust claimed he made.
- benjichronic

If you watch the video you see Prust skating to the box and Watson behind him yapping, the. Prust sits and looks down and Watson keeps yapping and starts pointing his finger. Then Prust looks up and Watson gives him a energetic "T" for unsportsmanlike. Watson made himself look like a huge "jagoff" and he got called on it. Now the NHL has to investigate to see who was being the bigger idiot and being that Prust wasn't automatically hit with a fine the next morning has to tell you that Watson isn't a quiet little church mouse in this whole ordeal.

To me it seems like the "ref fraternity" has maybe let its collective egos get too big and perhaps hats why we have seen a downward trend in quality of officiating since the lockout ended in 2005.

Gotta love how Stewie here vilifies Prust but reserves judgement on his fraternal bro even though there video evidence of Watson running his mouth before giving Prust the extra 2. Seems like a huge Richard-move by Watson to run his mouth behind his stripes then tell someone else they're being unsportsmanlike.

At the time of the altercation it was 1-0 Montreal.


I think he was talking about when it was 6-2 and prust bumped Bishop

That was a huge momentum shift included the soft call on Subban as soon as the 4 min double minor was served.
2 handed crosscheck to the back of the neck while a player is on all fours is a soft call?

If you watch the video you see Prust skating to the box and Watson behind him yapping, the. Prust sits and looks down and Watson keeps yapping and starts pointing his finger. Then Prust looks up and Watson gives him a energetic "T" for unsportsmanlike. Watson made himself look like a huge "jagoff" and he got called on it. Now the NHL has to investigate to see who was being the bigger idiot and being that Prust wasn't automatically hit with a fine the next morning has to tell you that Watson isn't a quiet little church mouse in this whole ordeal.

To me it seems like the "ref fraternity" has maybe let its collective egos get too big and perhaps hats why we have seen a downward trend in quality of officiating since the lockout ended in 2005.

Gotta love how Stewie here vilifies Prust but reserves judgement on his fraternal bro even though there video evidence of Watson running his mouth before giving Prust the extra 2. Seems like a huge Richard-move by Watson to run his mouth behind his stripes then tell someone else they're being unsportsmanlike.
- SmielmaN

Do you know what Prust said on the way to the box? Have any idea what he said while in the box looking down? I love how you Hab fans are all up in arms when almost everyone in the media is ripping Prust for this. Also making assumptions as to why the NHL hasn't fined Prust yet is another good example of speaking out on something you don't know about. When has the NHL EVERY rushed to fine someone or suspend them? Especially in a manner when integrity is being questioned. Sounds to me like you're grasping for straws as to why your team is down 2-0 in the series.

can you post that video? Are you talking about after the fight when prust whips his pad at the Bolts bench?


PS....what the heck happened to the quote function??????

At the time of the altercation it was 1-0 Montreal.


I think he was talking about when it was 6-2 and prust bumped Bishop

That was a huge momentum shift included the soft call on Subban as soon as the 4 min double minor was served.
2 handed crosscheck to the back of the neck while a player is on all fours is a soft call?
- 77emac77

Yes, it's a soft call when a Hab player does it to an opponent otherwise it is an act of attempted murder.

Yes, it's a soft call when a Hab player does it to an opponent otherwise it is an act of attempted murder.
- Clicker

I have no rooting interest in this series at all. This whole thing is about shifting focus from being down 2-0 IMO.

Its pretty funny coming from a team that wanted charges pressed on Chara that they are questioning integrity of an official.

Yes, it's a soft call when a Hab player does it to an opponent otherwise it is an act of attempted murder.
- Clicker

Give me a break.

Tampa actually I will admit is a pretty disciplined bunch. And they haven't thrown many cheap shots.

But the Bruins pioneered that style. So I like how buddy chimed in on that one.

Also not sure if you watched any of the round 1 habs vs sens. The series was very dirty from both teams. They let that stuff slide all series specifically when it was Methot or Borowieki vs Gallagher.

Anyways, I like the way Tampa plays a skilled game instead of goon poop.

So I hope game three the Habs get back to their gameplan and play disciplined and we should be in for a good remainder of the series.

I have no rooting interest in this series at all. This whole thing is about shifting focus from being down 2-0 IMO.

Its pretty funny coming from a team that wanted charges pressed on Chara that they are questioning integrity of an official.
- Stripes77

The team didn't want charges. It was some Quebec media guy or politician or something.

Don't blur the lines when you don't know the truth.

Do you know what Prust said on the way to the box? Have any idea what he said while in the box looking down? I love how you Hab fans are all up in arms when almost everyone in the media is ripping Prust for this. Also making assumptions as to why the NHL hasn't fined Prust yet is another good example of speaking out on something you don't know about. When has the NHL EVERY rushed to fine someone or suspend them? Especially in a manner when integrity is being questioned. Sounds to me like you're grasping for straws as to why your team is down 2-0 in the series.
- Stripes77

You mean the NHL partners' Sportsnet?

If you watch the video you see Prust skating to the box and Watson behind him yapping, the. Prust sits and looks down and Watson keeps yapping and starts pointing his finger. Then Prust looks up and Watson gives him a energetic "T" for unsportsmanlike. Watson made himself look like a huge "jagoff" and he got called on it. Now the NHL has to investigate to see who was being the bigger idiot and being that Prust wasn't automatically hit with a fine the next morning has to tell you that Watson isn't a quiet little church mouse in this whole ordeal.

To me it seems like the "ref fraternity" has maybe let its collective egos get too big and perhaps hats why we have seen a downward trend in quality of officiating since the lockout ended in 2005.

Gotta love how Stewie here vilifies Prust but reserves judgement on his fraternal bro even though there video evidence of Watson running his mouth before giving Prust the extra 2. Seems like a huge Richard-move by Watson to run his mouth behind his stripes then tell someone else they're being unsportsmanlike.
- SmielmaN

Very well thought out reasoning.

The problem here is that it is a "us vs. them" mentality. And the NHLPA doesn't stand behind their players as they are to divided by the team they play for. Why would the Lightning get behind this issue??

Whereas, all the refs get behind each other like a fraternity

Bottom line the guy shouldn't ref another game in this series - if he did in fact do as claimed then he should probably be heavily fined or fired because i think we can all agree thats not acceptable behaviour for a ref.

Bringing in past calls or past series is pointless as everybody can agree that reffing in the nhl is suspect at the best of times even more so in the playoffs when nobody knows what constitutes a penalty and what does not.