Hits from behind in the WCHA

[JMissile]

Ok this dates back a few weeks ago to the WCHA Final Five, however, I have been thinking about this a bit and wanted to hear some other thoughts on this...so here goes...

I sat in my seat at the WCHA Final Five tourney and I watch and pay attention to the officiating pretty closely (Mainly because I am an official and I learn things from the more experienced officials.). I found myself seeing a lot of hitting from behind in the corners, not just the agressive play along the boards that the WCHA is notorious for, but rather the hits where a player is off the boards 1-2 feet and gets hit face first into them. Under USA hockey, checking from behind is among the most serious penalties and for the games that I officiate (this applys mainly through bantams and high school to an extent) it is not taken lightly. A check from behind is called and the "10 and 2" penalties assesed, if not more. It just seemed like there were a lot of these hits going on in the games and they only thing that is called is the boarding or cross checking minor penalties. My question is...what is there to prevent hits from behind from happening? It seems as if there is nothing to enforce it. If a player sees the numbers on the back of another players jersey, he hits him from behind, and whats the worst that could happen to him, his team goes on the PK for 2 min??? Should the officiating in the WCHA be more agressive on hits like this to prevent injuries? Also, in high levels of hockey like the WCHA there is obviously that level of respect between the players that, to an extent governs dangerous hits, but there is a fine line there. Regardless, Im not attacking the WCHA officiating by any means, just curious...

[Goon]

Ok this dates back a few weeks ago to the WCHA Final Five, however, I have been thinking about this a bit and wanted to hear some other thoughts on this...so here goes...

I sat in my seat at the WCHA Final Five tourney and I watch and pay attention to the officiating pretty closely (Mainly because I am an official and I learn things from the more experienced officials.). I found myself seeing a lot of hitting from behind in the corners, not just the agressive play along the boards that the WCHA is notorious for, but rather the hits where a player is off the boards 1-2 feet and gets hit face first into them.  Under USA hockey, checking from behind is among the most serious penalties and for the games that I officiate (this applys mainly through bantams and high school to an extent) it is not taken lightly.  A check from behind is called and the "10 and 2" penalties assesed, if not more.  It just seemed like there were a lot of these hits going on in the games and they only thing that is called is the boarding or cross checking minor penalties.  My question is...what is there to prevent hits from behind from happening? It seems as if there is nothing to enforce it.  If a player sees the numbers on the back of another players jersey, he hits him from behind, and whats the worst that could happen to him, his team goes on the PK for 2 min???  Should the officiating in the WCHA be more agressive on hits like this to prevent injuries?  Also, in high levels of hockey like the WCHA there is obviously that level of respect between the players that, to an extent governs dangerous hits, but there is a fine line there.  Regardless, Im not attacking the WCHA officiating by any means, just curious...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I was watching the Pee Wees play this season, they had the same rule, hitting from behind was a 2 and a 10. I think that is a pretty good rule for this penalty. It probably gives the player a chance to think about what he has done.

[siouxnami]

Ok this dates back a few weeks ago to the WCHA Final Five, however, I have been thinking about this a bit and wanted to hear some other thoughts on this...so here goes...

I sat in my seat at the WCHA Final Five tourney and I watch and pay attention to the officiating pretty closely (Mainly because I am an official and I learn things from the more experienced officials.). I found myself seeing a lot of hitting from behind in the corners, not just the agressive play along the boards that the WCHA is notorious for, but rather the hits where a player is off the boards 1-2 feet and gets hit face first into them.  Under USA hockey, checking from behind is among the most serious penalties and for the games that I officiate (this applys mainly through bantams and high school to an extent) it is not taken lightly.  A check from behind is called and the "10 and 2" penalties assesed, if not more.  It just seemed like there were a lot of these hits going on in the games and they only thing that is called is the boarding or cross checking minor penalties.  My question is...what is there to prevent hits from behind from happening? It seems as if there is nothing to enforce it.  If a player sees the numbers on the back of another players jersey, he hits him from behind, and whats the worst that could happen to him, his team goes on the PK for 2 min???  Should the officiating in the WCHA be more agressive on hits like this to prevent injuries?  Also, in high levels of hockey like the WCHA there is obviously that level of respect between the players that, to an extent governs dangerous hits, but there is a fine line there.  Regardless, Im not attacking the WCHA officiating by any means, just curious...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem is when the player that is hit turns towards the boards at the last second. Genoway hit a Minnesota player from behind, because as he came in for a clean hit the player turned his back to him just as Colby hit him. Is this a penalty? I don't think so. If it were, Robbie Earl would have our whole team suspended by turning and diving...

[redwing77]

Ok this dates back a few weeks ago to the WCHA Final Five, however, I have been thinking about this a bit and wanted to hear some other thoughts on this...so here goes...

I sat in my seat at the WCHA Final Five tourney and I watch and pay attention to the officiating pretty closely (Mainly because I am an official and I learn things from the more experienced officials.). I found myself seeing a lot of hitting from behind in the corners, not just the agressive play along the boards that the WCHA is notorious for, but rather the hits where a player is off the boards 1-2 feet and gets hit face first into them.

[Millionaire]

The problem is when the player that is hit turns towards the boards at the last second.  Genoway hit a Minnesota player from behind, because as he came in for a clean hit the player turned his back to him just as Colby hit him.  Is this a penalty?  I don't think so.  If it were, Robbie Earl would have our whole team suspended by turning and diving...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have read copies of the NCAA ice hockey rules (they're free online, too). I was sure that there there is a rule that would penalize a player that intentionally turns their back to cause an opponent to abort a hit (or to try to draw a penalty). However, I cannot find it today in the rules nor interpretations. Is this familiar to anyone else?

[Fedorov]

I have read copies of the NCAA ice hockey rules (they're free online, too).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You should email it to Shepherd.

[JMissile]

I know fans like to criticize Sheperd and the other WCHA officials, or all officials for that matter but the fact is...within reason no fans should be criticizing officials because what is going on on the ice and what the fans see from their seats are two completely different things. Of course we hate to see penalties called and not called but whats goin on on the ice is a different story. Fans forget that...

[siouxnami]

I know fans like to criticize Sheperd and the other WCHA officials, or all officials for that matter but the fact is...within reason no fans should be criticizing officials because what is going on on the ice and what the fans see from their seats are two completely different things.  Of course we hate to see penalties called and not called but whats goin on on the ice is a different story.  Fans forget that...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope...

There is whining and then there is Adam. He should never take the ice again. I usually whithhold my criticism as I am a referee (soccer, not hockey), BUT Adam needs to go.

[redwing77]

I know fans like to criticize Sheperd and the other WCHA officials, or all officials for that matter but the fact is...within reason no fans should be criticizing officials because what is going on on the ice and what the fans see from their seats are two completely different things.  Of course we hate to see penalties called and not called but whats goin on on the ice is a different story.  Fans forget that...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would normally agree. However, there is a standard and a sense of accountability that needs to be adhered to at this level and higher levels of play. The WCHA has none of that, or if they do (they claim they do), it doesn't work.

The problem is, with the exception of Adam and Anderson (maybe D Shepherd), the officials in the WCHA have the ability to officiate with the potential to really do a good job, but when the official is consistent in being poor in judgement and lopsided (You can only call it both ways if there is a means to offset the penalty) action needs to be taken.

Greg Shepherd is incapable of taking such an action. He is VERY much into the status quo. That isn't bad in itself, unless you experience staff (in this case officials) who aren't doing their job the way they should. Then you can run into what Greg is doing: He wants the status quo so bad, that he regularly overlooks consistent errors and dangerous calls/noncalls that go on and label them (at worst) as learning experiences.

It was only after long thought and high pressure, IMO, that Adam was given a reprimand. Greg doesn't push the officials to do better and he stresses parity to the extreme so that it jades the calls in a game. I must note that I am as much in favor of parity as most people, but I think it should be parity through strategy and recruiting, not parity through league intervention or worse, assistance.

siouxnami and a few of us Sioux posters may have an extreme opinion on Don Adam, but let's face it: It's easy to call for the head of an official, especially when the situation that got him there happens regularly when he officiates and the fans all know that nothing will happen to him regardless of official's performance.

Too much buddy buddy and not enough management. The answer must come from up top. Fire Greg Shepherd and Bruce McLeod. Hire people to replace them and then go from there. Yes, all, with the replacement of the top officials, Adam (under my idealistic view) would still be a ref in the WCHA. However the leash would be very short.

[JMissile]

I recently emailed the USA Hockey Central district referee-in-cheif on this issue and his response was pretty interesting. He said that the differerence between youth and high levels of hockey such as the WCHA and NHL is that the "business" aspect of the sport comes into play. He said that officials are regulated by the league to control certain game situations. I find this pretty said to say the least. I think it takes away from the purity of the game....