Ron MacLean to Ref in the NHL

[RadioGaGa 162]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179168&hubname=

It will be interesting to see what he has to say afterward.

[ktang 34]

Good idea by the league to get him to experience the play first-hand instead of second-guessing, and good on McLean to take the league up on its offer.

[Neal 41]

Good idea by the league to get him to experience the play first-hand instead of second-guessing, and good on McLean to take the league up on its offer.

I have to agree, because he has no experience whatsoever as an official:

""I've been working on my backward skating," MacLean, a Level 5 referee with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, said during a conference call Thursday.

"With a solo referee system, the one I worked in for 23 years, you skated pretty well forward for the whole time. In the two-man system, a lot of it is backward skating."

[Chadd 916]

Maclean never worked a two ref system and even started to see how much more you can see in camp. Not to mention never working at that level.

[RadioGaGa 162]

MacLean Ref'ed a Jr. B game when I was in highschool. The old guys who spent every Friday night at the rink were just as cruel to him as any other OMHA Ref. Some moreso.

[Chadd 916]

MacLean Ref'ed a Jr. B game when I was in highschool. The old guys who spent every Friday night at the rink were just as cruel to him as any other OMHA Ref. Some moreso.

Big difference between jungle B and the NHL.

[Neal 41]

Big difference between jungle B and the NHL.

No doubt, no doubt, but name another commentator with even Junior B ref experience. That experience is better than nothing, no?

[RadioGaGa 162]

MacLean Ref'ed a Jr. B game when I was in highschool. The old guys who spent every Friday night at the rink were just as cruel to him as any other OMHA Ref. Some moreso.

Big difference between jungle B and the NHL.

I know, but someone had commented that he's got NO Ref experience...he's been a carded Ref for years...I'm not sure what the highest level he's worked is.

[RadioGaGa 162]

CBC just ran a piece on Ron's experience reffing in the Pittsburgh-Buffalo game. It was very well done and gave you a very interesting persprective on what happens at ice level.

He was okay...some of his positioning was off...but considering the level he's used to reffing, he did a decent job.

As Steve Walkom joked after the 2nd (he did the 2nd & 3rd)..."It's your Period...you only got in the way 5 times, and you only missed 2 penalties...not too bad".

He even called a trip on LeClair with a minute left and took a EARFUL from Recchi. The Colin Campbell was giving him a hard time afterward...."Ron, you can't call that with a minute left...your killing the game".

He had to keep asking the guys after goals who had the assists...kinda funny.

Good on the league for letting an "outsider" inside like that. Great fun to watch as well.

Anyone else see it???

[kosydar 0]

His helmet, visor, jersey, and pants were all too big. He looked absolutely retarded out there. But it made me think- do regular NHL refs call the players by their names, or by their numbers like other refs do?

[RadioGaGa 162]

His helmet, visor, jersey, and pants were all too big. He looked absolutely retarded out there. But it made me think- do regular NHL refs call the players by their names, or by their numbers like other refs do?

Ya his gear wasn't quite right *L*

I wondered that too about the names...

[Hobbes_86 0]

yep I caught it too. I liked how they explained the non-penalty on Crosby...to me it looked like a clear penalty...but from their perspective the defenceman had proper positioning and Crosby was embelishing.

Did anyone else catch it? I wasn't 100% sure whythe defender had the advantage....something about Crosby was a lefty and the defender was a righty was all I caught.

[shnuggs 0]

Ya caught it tonight.

I really liked the segment -- thought it was really well done. It was great having the ref's microphoned up - you could here what they say to the players during the game, after goals, during fights, during penalty calls etc. etc. It provided great footage and i thought it was better - more entertaining then having the players mik'ed up-- think the NHL should utilize it more - might be a good way of getting fans more into the game.

Anyone notice what kind of skates-holders Ron was wearing :P

[RadioGaGa 162]

Anyone notice what kind of skates-holders Ron was wearing :P

Grafs w/ T-blades weren't they?

[LkptTiger 1]

Grafs w/ T-blades weren't they?

That they were.

Good segment. Almost "humanizes" the refs. Almost, anyways.

[Chadd 916]

Grafs w/ T-blades weren't they?

That they were.

Good segment. Almost "humanizes" the refs. Almost, anyways.

I worked a game before the Caps preseason game here, the guys who I ran into were dicks. Too bad Devo was late, he's a good guy.

[Storm 0]

  The Colin Campbell was giving him a hard time afterward...."Ron, you can't call that with a minute left...your killing the game".

Was he being sarcastic?

Cause that's what Ron always said as a commentator.

[RadioGaGa 162]

  The Colin Campbell was giving him a hard time afterward...."Ron, you can't call that with a minute left...your killing the game".

Was he being sarcastic?

Cause that's what Ron always said as a commentator.

Yeah....he laughed after he said it...but he delivered the "critisism" (sp?) with a straight face....

[hip check 0]

The refs are great to listen to if you get the chance. I remember that Lou Scampinella had a tv crew follow him for his last week or so in the league. He was always chatting with the players - letting them know where other players were, keeping the sticks down, watch the elbows, chatting at the bench during breaks - that type of stuff.

There are a lot of funny comments made during the course of a game, it would be nice to hear some of them. It would be a good way to bring the game closer to the viewers, too.

[Gongshow11 1]

"go ahead jammy, do whatever you want the league will change for you. "

"you reffed a game, not bad at all, you make up with colin campbell?" in reference to tblades, "what are those!"