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Game officials deserve more respect

Let us talk about referees. Recently there has been a lot of conversation surrounding referees, both in minor hockey and in professional hockey.
Christopher Lee
Humboldt Journal Reporter

Let us talk about referees.

Recently there has been a lot of conversation surrounding referees, both in minor hockey and in professional hockey.

The most recent story to come out in minor hockey involves referees who cancelled the remainder of the game.

While the details are not fully known making it hard to make a full opinion on what transpired, everyone involved seems to agree there was some level of harassment aimed at the referees taking place.

Then, on Feb. 14 during a game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild, Ducks forward Antoine Vermette slashed the back of the legs of linesman Shandor Alphonso after Alphonso dropped the puck.

Did he slash him hard?

No, but that is not the point.

The point is he did it and quite obviously intentionally, too.

In both of these instances abuse took place.

Sure, there were different forms of abuse but they were abuse nonetheless.

Now the nice thing about both cases is that there was disciplinary action taken.

In the minor hockey game, fans as well as the referees were given suspensions for their actions and in the NHL Vermette was given an automatic ten game suspension as part of the abuse of the official rule.

Vermette has appealed the suspension so it will be interesting to note whether or not the suspension is upheld.

I hear people complain all the time about how there seems to be fewer and fewer referees all the time.

Well no wonder.

Who wants to referee if they are being abused?

Being a referee is a no-win job.

At any time there is going to be at least one if not two teams who are upset at them but it does not mean they should be abused.  

Are referees perfect?

No. Absolutely not, but neither is anyone else.

Human error is part of life.

Those who throw threats at the officials or curses and swears at them is teaching the children that it is an appropriate behaviour.

The last thing we should be doing is teaching our children that yelling and screaming at people we do not agree with or deem to be doing a bad job is an acceptable behaviour.  

As a referee I have seen a wide variety of different things on the ice, including being threatened, yelled it, shoved by a parent, I have seen fans kicked out for threatening referees and have seen coaches thrown out for throwing a water bottle at the officials.

Could you imagine if it was your child or even yourself who was subjected to this kind of behaviour?

Like I said referees are not perfect but we try to learn from our mistakes.

It seems some people carry the opinion that referees are there to ruin the game or that they make up rules.

That is indeed not the case, the job of the referee is to enforce the rules based on the rulebook.

It is time we stop abusing referees either physically, mentally, emotionally, or verbally.

Besides without referees there would be no game.