New Rules down the Drain

[kovalchuk77 0]

What ever happened to the Rules for the NHL at the beggining of the season I always remembered the refs calling penalties like crazy what happened?

[johnpace2 0]

Umm, are you watching? They still are calling everything.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I think they are calling the wrong things.

They are going out of their way to call delay of game when the puck goes over the glass, but they are missing charging calls because the league doesn't want the "new" nhl to be seen as a league that is discouraging the physical element.

The reffing has flat out sucked because of inconsistency and the calls that are getting called compared to what should be called but is getting let go.

[Louie 28]

I definitely think that the officiating has gone down hill from last season. It seems like they are focusing on other penalties, like the delay of game, but ignoring other penalties such as goaltender interference and obstruction. It's not quite the same as last year.

[Trooper 8]

I agree, the reffing is abysmal at this point. It's inconsistant. Gary Roberts could have had about 3-4 check from behinds and elbows in the last 2-3 games but nothing is called. But occasionally they call rinky dink stuff that should go uncalled because it really didn't affect the play.

[TBLfan 25]

It's like randomly they hold up to the hooking and holding calls but regularly they'll let them go. It really sucks when they start calling everything really late in the game. If refs change their mind how they're going to call a game they need to send a memo.

[kosydar 0]

Dean Warren is a douche. He is absolutely brutal.

[Cavs019 708]

The Rangers-Pens game last night had great flow until the 3rd when the refs starting calling penalties like it was a basketball game.

[Chadd 916]

I think they are calling the wrong things.

They are going out of their way to call delay of game when the puck goes over the glass, but they are missing charging calls because the league doesn't want the "new" nhl to be seen as a league that is discouraging the physical element.

The reffing has flat out sucked because of inconsistency and the calls that are getting called compared to what should be called but is getting let go.

The delay of game thing is always a penalty, they have to call it. I do agree that they aren't calling stuff because they don't want to piss off the people that like carnage and injuries.

[Eazy_b97 1]

The new Rules are in effect every now and then when the NHL wants to showcase itself a little bit. I don't mind them letting stuff go or calling everything, but the consistency needs to be there.

[TBLfan 25]

They really need to work on the whole hooking thing. In my opinion not everytime a stick touches a glove is it hooking, sometimes it doesn't effect the play at all and that should go uncalled. It's like when a players skates past you and you give him a love tap on the thigh, doesn't cause pain because you aren't taking a whack at him, doesn't impeed progress... shouldn't be a call.

It's just that sometimes they call things that don't have anything to do with the play and are barely something that should be called even if it was in the play. Yet at the same time they'll not call something that directly effects the play.

[Chadd 916]

On the other end of the spectrum, some good news is that the NHL is finding a way to bring some physical passion back into the scene. Needless to say, I am not talking about what Simon, Jansson, etc recently did, but I am talking about the physical tones of the games I have seen and how they have improved since the new year.

Since Avery came to the Rags, they hit more because he winds up the other team. There is more hitting from behind all around the league and hits well after the puck is gone. Guys have finally figured out that they get called for minor stick work but not for doing things that could potentially end the career of the other guy.

They really need to work on the whole hooking thing. In my opinion not everytime a stick touches a glove is it hooking, sometimes it doesn't effect the play at all and that should go uncalled. It's like when a players skates past you and you give him a love tap on the thigh, doesn't cause pain because you aren't taking a whack at him, doesn't impeed progress... shouldn't be a call.

It's just that sometimes they call things that don't have anything to do with the play and are barely something that should be called even if it was in the play. Yet at the same time they'll not call something that directly effects the play.

I couldn't disagree more.

[TBLfan 25]

^^About my first paragraph, my second paragraph or both?

I can understand why you'd disagree with the hooking because a lot of people don't see eye to eye on it.

As far as the other I don't think you can deny that it's a somewhat common occurance.

[Chadd 916]

^^About my first paragraph, my second paragraph or both?

I can understand why you'd disagree with the hooking because a lot of people don't see eye to eye on it.

As far as the other I don't think you can deny that it's a somewhat common occurance.

Your first paragraph seems to mix NHL and rec league rules/realities.

NHL rules vary from game to game so it's almost impossible to know what's going to be called on any given night. That said, there seems to be more of a desire to call interference than brutal/dangerous plays. I think that is the officials trying to overcompensate for having to call what many of them consider to be "ticky-tack" penalties.