Robin Short commentary

Central West Senior Hockey League discussions - Clarenville Caribous, Grand Falls Windsor Cataracts & Gander Flyers.
CCFAN-dbs
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:36 am

Robin Short: Disregard for details put a ding in this year's Herder
Referees weren’t to blame; instead, look to the empty spots where goal judges normally sit




Several years ago, maybe 10 or 15, I was invited to a rugby planning meeting by Pat Parfrey. I can’t quite recall what it was about, but I believe the local rugby crowd was staging a national or international event, and I was there in some kind of media role.


Parfrey controlled the meeting, of course, and I recall him directing the person taking minutes, who was scribbling furiously, to ensure there were “nice tablecloths” for dinner at the Swilers Rugby Club.

Rugby, I thought, leaves no stone unturned. They take into consideration the smallest of details.

Hockey not only neglected the tablecloths in Clarenville last weekend, but the tables and chairs, too.

Iain Hollett and Stephen Orr — unwilling central characters in the day following the biggest blunder in the history of Newfoundland sports — were getting killed Monday.

The referees who allowed the phantom goal in the dying minutes of 3-3 tie, in the deciding game of the Herder Memorial Trophy final, were condemned at every turn for allowing a shot from a Harbour Grace CeeBees player to count as a goal, although video shows the puck slipped under the side of the net.

It’s not their fault.

Hard as it is to believe, this final game of the Herder series was played without goal judges, and in the end, that negligence has forever put an asterisk to the 2017 provincial senior hockey championship, and taken some gloss off the CeeBees’ win.



We don’t know if fault lies with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, or one or both of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League or Central West senior operation.



We do know, however, only crickets could be heard coming from the HNL home office in Grand Falls-Windsor Monday, silence replaced by the shrill of anguish from irate Clarenville Caribous supporters demanding their pound of flesh from a pair of referees left dangling by Hockey NL.

The refusal by hockey’s governing body to address the issue Monday is as astounding as it is shocking, and perhaps even reprehensible.

If you consider the replay — and like you, I’ve watched it umpteen times — you will see one of the referees in the corner opposite of the play in question. This official could not have witnessed — in any way, shape or form — the puck slide under the net.

The other ref is not in the picture, probably just outside the blueline in a two-man system. Again, watching the video, you see activity in front of Clarenville goalie Jason Churchill. While I am not a mindreader, I’m thinking this is capturing the trailing official’s attention, not the fairly innocuous play of an unchecked player emerging from the corner with the puck. Of course, what you will also see behind the net is an empty space, where a goal judge usually sits. Had there been one, he/she would have had a perfect view of the goal/non-goal

According to Hockey Canada’s Off-Ice Officials Manual, the role of the goal judge is to, “turn the goal light on if the entire puck has crossed the goal line between the
goal posts and below the cross bar, regardless of the situation, and leave the light
on for at least 5 seconds, or until acknowledged by the Referee.”

It goes on to say, “It is the responsibility of the Referee to ask the question to the goal judge and of the goal judge to respond to the questions as to how the play was viewed. In any dispute regarding a goal, the Referees decision is final.”

So either Hollett or Orr or both asks the goal judge — had there been someone assigned that duty — if it was a good goal. Goal judge says no, the puck slid under the net.

No goal. No story.

The Herder Memorial Trophy captures a significant amount of public interest, not to mention generating a sizeable amount of revenue.

It’s time Hockey NL imported a heightened amount of professionalism to the event.

It starts with, of course, ensuring all mandated officials — on- and off-ice — are in place. It extends to a video review system, which could be used as fallback option in the event of disputed goals or player safety issues

And it could use a public relations enhancement, beginning with a dedicated contributor to its social media networks, and a tournament photographer posting to Instagram and Flickr.

Finding a score from the weekend games, if one wasn’t tuned into the Bell Aliant online streaming, was at best hit and miss.

This all costs a few extra dollars, but it’s about boosting the Herder’s professional appearance, putting a shine on the old trophy.

About making sure diners have nice tablecloths.

And in the case of adding a couple of goal judges, ensuring the embarrassment that was the 2017 Herder Memorial Trophy doesn’t happen again.



Robin Short is The Telegram’s Sports Editor. He can be reached by email at rshort@thetelegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TelyRobinShort
Go BOUS Go!

CCFAN-dbs
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:49 am

Begs the question, if the ref couldn't see the puck go in the net from where he was, as Robin says, then why did he say that he saw the puck go in the net?

Robin Short is out to lunch!

In all honesty, no one will ever know whether the Caribous or CeeBees would have won the game had this goal been disallowed. Had Hollett conferred with the other ref and linesmen, maybe the goal would have still been called a good goal. Maybe it wouldn't have.

A real shame to have a great series decided like that. Both teams and their fans deserved better.
Go BOUS Go!

top cheese
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:02 pm

I think Robin has a point with his commentary.

Referees do make mistakes, some monumental like this which no one can understand why. That's the human element of sport. But we also have people making performance decisions in a lot of areas in the same fashion. The referees where at fault for not working as a team after the decision was made to review if it was the correct call or not.

The thing that stands out in his article is again the root of all evil in senior hockey. The lack of professionalism in its administration. Weather its marketing, scheduling, social media etc its always the root cause of these controversy's. The Herder Championship where they demand 20dollars per tickets and have teams which invest substainal amounts of money through out the season only to have a championship series which is not promoted and administered to every detail is shameful. But what more can you expect in this province????

The referees made a mistake. But its up to organizers and administrators to organize the details to do there best to prevent things like this from happening!

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canonball
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:01 pm

Call it what you want and as for Robin Short comment ,yes we have to have goal judges but in this case would the ref had asked the goal judge after saying that he seen the puck go in ,don't think so ,why ? Will we all know the ref did not even ask the other officials .his words ,he seen the puck go in ...bull ****

goboosgo
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:13 pm

If Ian Hollett isn't responsible for this then who the hell is? He is the one who called it a goal when he wasn't in a position to see what happened. He is the one who refused to confer with the other three on ice officials. He is the one who gave two different stories to Jason Churchill and Dustin Russell. He has been a discrace to the profession for years. I've seen his make questionable calls and look up at the fans in Sections 7 & 8 and smile, and he even went so far as turn around and pat his arse, now there's a true professional. With what we have leading HNL, what more who you expect.

dakota
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:09 pm

If it's the case as mr short say then official never followed hockey Canada rules and meet with the other officials. Hockey Canada rules state if ref doesn't see puck cross Lind then he must discuss with the other on ice officials

dakota
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 pm

So carl lake and robin short are saying there was no way ref could see how puck went in and the ref in question tells Churchill he seen it go in off his skate, then the same official tells Russell he seen it go in off a stick...something stinks here

dakota
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:24 pm

Robin, if it's impossible for ref to tell it was a goal how can he call it a goal? Better yet, how can he call it a goal and not talk to other officials if he couldn't see how it went in, especially with all the protest that was happening

Adam
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Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:02 pm

dakota wrote:Robin, if it's impossible for ref to tell it was a goal how can he call it a goal? Better yet, how can he call it a goal and not talk to other officials if he couldn't see how it went in, especially with all the protest that was happening
Sore loser.

dagooch
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Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:34 am

what the video does not show, the puck hitting the right skate of Churchill and going back across the goal line.....im sure that's the view the ref had.....not denying the fact that it went under, just saying that it did cross the goal line after hitting the skate and re entered the net.....that's what I saw from where I was sitting

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