PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 The opinion piece below was written last season following UND's Jan. 10, 2004, 2-2 tie against Alaska-Anchorage. It was submitted to US College Hockey Online and the Grand Forks Herald, both of which declined to publish it. If you don't recall this game, the video grab of Zach Parise might refresh your memory. ----------------------------- Why the WCHA should feel shame By Patrick C. Miller During my brief and admittedly lame career as a "college hockey player" at South Dakota State University during the mid-70s, there was only one game in which I became angry enough to drop the gloves. For whatever reason, the referee called few penalties against the other team and every picky infraction he could against our team. We lost by one goal. To this day, I still remember the frustration of that game and the anger that boiled inside me. After watching Alaska-Anchorage play North Dakota Saturday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, it wasn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01grad Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Just got back from the final five and maybe it is the beer in me, but what is going on in the picture? Why all the crying about officiating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Great article PCM. That was one of only a few games I got to watch live last year and I can honestly say I didn't get my monies worth. Keep fighting the good fight of free speech PCM. Amazing that neither the Heraldo or USCHO would publish this piece. I guess the WCHA has a little too much power. We wouldn't want to make them mad now would we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedorov Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 It is amazing how nothing has changed in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 It is amazing how nothing has changed in a year. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's even more amazing in light of the NCAA's open letter to the hockey community that was supposed to improve enforcement of the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedorov Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 PCM, did you ever email this to Bruce or Greg? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 PCM, did you ever email this to Bruce or Greg? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No. I thought it would have been more effective if it appeared in a public forum. The WCHA would have simply ignored it otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Just got back from the final five and maybe it is the beer in me, but what is going on in the picture? Why all the crying about officiating? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The picture is of Zach Parise getting up after a high stick to the jaw that went uncalled last year...that's blood on his sweater. You may have been at the FF, but did you actually watch the Denver game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farce poobah Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Patrick, well said, as usual. I can understand the occasional missed call, even including a high stick here and there. But when it becomes a pattern, it becomes the fault of those who let it happen. The only consolation is the far-too-rare situations where post-game suspensions are handed down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Just got back from the final five and maybe it is the beer in me, but what is going on in the picture? Why all the crying about officiating? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> unbelieveable Great article PCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagies Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Resend it, PCM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprig Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Good article, and one that needs to be read after yesterday. Actually, it needed to be out there before yesterday. Remember that weekend well, UAA hooked all Sioux forwards around the net and allowed Sioux to drag them around the ice. Went on for all six periods of the two games, got worse and worse as Mason allowed it to go on, and culmintaed in the stick ending up in Parise's face, bloodying him in the process. It was really only a matter of time before someone ended up with a broken neck with Shepard and crew at the helm. Will the league finally wake up now? It will no doubt take the combined effort of all coaches and possibley AD's of WCHA schools to take care of the mess Shepard has made with league officiating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 (edited) The rest of the story I interviewed Zach Parise about his World Juniors experience the day after the Jan. 10, 2004, UAA game. He spoke candidly and on the record about the state of officiating in the WCHA. But he was afraid that if I printed what he said, he'd get in trouble with the league. That why I instead wrote an opinion piece that reflected his point of view, which confirmed what I'd believed for years. Now that Zach is no longer in college hockey, I have no problem releasing the transcript of his comments regarding the state of WCHA officiating. Jan. 11, 2004 PCM: After Saturday night Edited March 19, 2005 by PCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dallassiouxfan Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Just got back from the final five and maybe it is the beer in me, but what is going on in the picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Just got back from the final five and maybe it is the beer in me, but what is going on in the picture? Why all the crying about officiating? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Your a moron, the officating was horrible all the way around this weekend. Maybe you just don't know what poor officiating is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 I need to mention something in fairness to USCHO. In rejecting the article I posted above, they did say that I could write a more general opinion-based article on how clutching and grabbing hurts college hockey and how officiating needs to be tightened up. I actually started planning how to do the article. But then something happened that made me see the futility of it. Cornell coach Mike Schafer bluntly experessed his feelings about ECAC officiating following a Jan. 17, 2004 loss to RPI in which two of his players were injured. (Read the recap and compare what happened there with what happened in UND's game with DU on Friday.) So what happened? Schcafer was suspened for a game by the ECAC and had to apologize for his comments. I knew right then that no coach would say a word to me on how he truly felt about officiatintg. It would simply be another article in which players and coaches self-censored their true feelings and league officials like Greg Shepherd could spew the usual drivel about what a wonderful job they do. I wanted no part of that. If I couldn't express my opinion on the subject honestly and openly, then I would play no part in helping others cover up the serious problems with college hockey officiating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7>4 Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Great stuff PCM. Thanks for the insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
administrator Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Your a moron, the officating was horrible all the way around this weekend. Maybe you just don't know what poor officiating is? Stop the personal attacks. If you disagree with someone, argue the point with which you disagree, don't attack the person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagard Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 PCM- Thanks for posting the transcript with ZP. I think if you would have found some accounts from games in other WCHA cities (they certainly were out there) it would have been published. I realize you all despise Vanek, but he often received the same attention that ZP received. He also contributed to the problem with often viscious slashes and crosschecks in what I'm sure he perceived as retaliatory shots. It's hard to avoid noticing the referee when either Mason or Adam is running the game and it's not supposed to be like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7>4 Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 It makes you think what effect, if any, the treatment players like Parise and Vanek received had to do with them leaving early for the pros? My guess is that $$$ was bigger issue but at some point those guys had to get tired of getting beat on every game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Your an idiot <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Your a moron <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You're in need of an apostrophe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprig Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 It was unbelievably obvious watching the WJC live in GF last December how much better the game is when players play by the rules, because they know they have to; a tourney full of major canadian junior players and it's played clean, not that canadian juniors aren't better officiated than college hockey (i believe they are). It was great to watch, and a shining example of what we might see in college hockey as opposed to what we get to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 I realize you all despise Vanek, but he often received the same attention that ZP received. He also contributed to the problem with often viscious slashes and crosschecks in what I'm sure he perceived as retaliatory shots. I don't despise Vanek. Zach made it clear that he wasn't talking about officiating only for himself, but for how it affected all plalyers in the league, including Vanek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sioux-Hockey-Fan Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 awesome piece PCM. I remember that game against AAU. I see the WCHA officials going right back to the way it was called last year. I sure hope something is done so that no more injuries or beheadings accure. I love watching this great game but it is reminding me more and more of some medieval game. If the refs continue to turn their heads and look the other way or be to arrogant to make the right call, it will turn into that game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kr Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Ever get the feeling that the inmates are running the asylum? There is one thing that the NC$$ loves, and that is to make examples to show how "good" they are at policing their own. Last night I so wanted to fire off a memo to some NC$$ brass, as shepherd & mcleod's e-mail were "down". Then I thought, do we really want the NC$$ to "look" at hocky? -- The NC$$ seems content to collect some nice fees from hockey and, basically, allow the hockey conferences to dictate the state of hockey. I want that Denver player to not touch the ice for the rest of the season nor for an extended time next season -- (probably an over-reaction, but reading uscho and poster's comments of other incidents with this player just ticks me off) but it is highly doubtful that the WCHA is going to review the current one game suspension; realistically, only the NC$$ could extend his suspension this season. PCM, have you sent your opinion piece to any NC$$ brass? It is a well thought out piece, thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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