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There used to be a segment on TV: "That Was The Week That Was." I don't know if it's moon rocks, the after-effects of the blizzards or Al Gore's version of global warming but this week was unprecedented in the history of NHL officiating. I've gotten a flood of questions from folks asking if I have seen something like the reversed penalty call in Saturday's Pittsburgh vs. Chicago game. Sidney Crosby was escorted to the penalty box. After the officials conferred, the penalty was canceled and the Penguins were not penalized.
Well, no. It's a first for me, too, and I am slightly dumbfounded.
I can't wait to read the NHL directive on this new league policy that the on-ice officials utilized in the game. Please, NHL Hockey Ops and Officiating head honcho, enlighten me here. I need to know how to coach my people when they are out there for the Frozen Four or the ECAC Championships or the Mites at Rodman next Saturday.
Let's get this much straight: I am NOT down on the on-ice guys who made the decision here. Getting the right call is critical, as is strong communication by the officiating team to accomplish this prime directive. Crosby should not have been penalized in the first place, so the right call was made. It was just done in a highly unorthodox manner.
We used to have a "rub of the green" precedent, where once you put your arm up for a penalty, it was too late to put it down. That's why it's vital for officials not to be too hasty and to take an extra second if need be (which can be easier said than done when the adrenaline is pumping). Basically, we always lived with the humanity of the game.
Folks have asked me if I ever reversed a penalty call. I did once, sorta.
Many moons ago, I was refereeing a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs. A Leafs defender committed a borderline hook on Denis Savard. I started to raise my arm for a delayed penalty. Just as my arm flinched, Savard controlled the puck from his knees, recovered to pull off his famous spin-o-rama move and snapped off a hell of a shot on goal.
Do you know what I did? I tried to cover my tracks by pulling my arm back past my ear. Then I fell down accidentally on purpose. Play continued. No one on either team said a word about a penalty call or non-call.
After the game, I saw Jim Gregory, the NHL's Executive Director of Hockey Operations. Jim is an icon of our sport; universally respected. Gregory was hockey smart, people smart and worked well with the officials. Comparing his leadership credentials and track record to that of the guy who heads NHL Hockey Ops nowadays is like comparing five-star Gen. Eisenhower to Elmer Fudd.
I digress. Anyway, Jim was seemingly the only one who noticed that I changed my mind about a penalty call on the play. With a big smile on my face, I denied that's what I'd done.
"No, Jim," I said. "My hair was out of place and I was trying to fix it. I was having a [Kerry] Fraser moment!"
Listen, it took guts for those officials in the Penguins-Chicago game to do what they did in the name of making the right call. I'm not going to criticize them for that.
By the way, I say "those officials" not because I don't know who worked the game but, rather, in deference to the NHL's modern-day preferences. Thank goodness the officials don't have their names on their sweaters. That way no one can call them by name and criticize them. It will take a whole two seconds longer for fans and the media to go to the game sheet or the NHLOA roster and see who was actually on the ice and made a call.
We used to say, "In hockey, anything that can happen, will." I guess it's true. So, if you are wondering what I think the bottom line is about what happened here, the answer is that I truly don't know what to think.
I am certain that a few folks in the NHL office will be happy about this: For once, I am speechless.
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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 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 hockey column every Wednesday for the Huffington Post.