Paul Stewart: Holding Officials Accountable

I once had to explain hockey to a friend who didn't know the game. "The team that scores the most goals wins, then you've got offsides and icing. When you've got that, you're set."

"What about penalties?"

"Don't worry about it. Even the players and referees don't understand that."

We do not, however, play these matters out in public. I won't apologize for that.

Do we expect coaches and general managers to tell the public every time they read the riot act to a player or issue a fine? Is there a detailed public explanation issued every time a player is released or a coach is not retained?


Paul, your right the public isn't told 'EVERY' time, but they are most times. Coaches get fired and players are often demoted to another line or sent down to the minors. It isn't kept from the fans.

Do you not think a Ref would even have more respect if he said after a game or the next day to a reporter and said I can't blame the coach last night for being upset, I made a mistake, mistakes happen, I appologize. Or a linesman who says yeah I blew it, in looking at the replay the guy was clearly offside, I don't know why I didn't see that. I made a mistake.

But they are not accountable to the public, the fans, or even the players. Watching on TV you can clearly see mistakes, often pointed out to you by the announcers. Yet if a coach or player after the game says we lost because the officials were terrible tonight, they get fined. Players and coaches know it's a fast game and mistakes happen, I think if an official stood up and admitted his mistake it would go over much better.