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Do you want more consistency with hockey officiating? So do I. But let's not pretend it's simply a matter of hiring "better" officials. It starts with an understanding across the board between coaches, players, club management and the officials. They must ALL be the same page with the same concept of fairness and interpretation of the rules. The rules must also be rewritten for greater clarity.
These agreed-upon standards must then be carried by the conduits of information within the game, filter into the press and, finally, reach the fans.
Is that realistic? Probably not. But that's what it would take.
Absolute consistency is impossible to attain. However, that doesn't mean we should ever stop striving for it. In reality, the greatest consistency an official can have is to consistently be himself. Every year at training camp, we all come out with an upbeat frame of mind. Then the games start and we use our judgment for the first time. We promptly go back to being hated again. It's just how it goes.
A hockey official is like a mailman. As the mailman, I delivered the rules as I was informed and instructed to do. That included some joke rules that I hated, such as the toe- in-the- crease rule for disallowed goals and the attempt-to-spear double minor.
Currently, I am in Russia at the KHL Officials training camp. We are all getting the gospel in one room and the getting sent to spread the word across the country. In tomorrow's blog, in response to questions by HockeyBuzz readers, I will address the topic of how officials get reviewed. For now, the short answer is that, yes. we do evaluate, reward, suspend or retire officials each season.
NHL and KHL officials training camps are very similar except for the main language spoken in the room. The meeting themselves are about the same. The veteran officials are sitting in the back of the room, the younger ones closer to the front.
Rules session at the officials camp: Some of this is simple review, but there are always some new rules to go over. Also, there are inevitably some areas where the league that employs the officials wants greater emphasis heading into the season.
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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.