The main idea of the article comes from this sentence:
USA Hockey...has run into an epidemic of players cooling their skates for holding, hooking and other infractions.Maybe I'm a bit of an English nerd, but I'm fascinated by the word choice of epidemic in that sentence. It's true that the writer could have meant the word in the sense that it is widespread, but when people think epidemic, the first thing they're likely to think of is an infectious disease. And if you read that sentence I quoted closely, you'll notice that the writer isn't saying the hooking and holding is the epidemic; it's the players going to the box that is the epidemic. What he's saying is that it's not the infraction that's the problem, it's the resulting penalty.
The transition that USA Hockey is making this year may be painful, but I think that ultimately, it will be for the best. Officials are just trying to enforce the rules as they're written, instead of letting too much go. I think it's a great idea to try and get all of the obstruction out of the game and let the players show off their skill. It may be ugly now, but it should pay huge dividends in a few years.
I understand what the article is talking about though. It mentions a scout from Northeastern traveling to St. Cloud for one of the Select Festivals and his frustration in seeing penalty after penalty called in those games. Those games were filled with penalties, and I remember hearing some USA Hockey officials talking about how some games were pretty much ruined by poor officiating. Calling more penalties means that the referees are more involved in the game, which means officials make more mistakes. If the WCHA can't find 5 good officials for any given weekend, what are the odds that a small town hockey association could round up enough for their games?
So far, there's been a lot of confusion, but I think most of these problems will be worked out once players and officials get a little more familiar with the new rules, even if it makes for some ugly hockey right now.
5 comments:
There were a ton of penalities in the select 15's the first few games. By the end of the week, the kids started catching onto the rules.
The new rules should make it a cleaner - faster game.
The players will adjust in time.
Epidemic? At least we did not have to hear Pan-demic this time. Perhaps it is just a rash.
I appreciate this site - check here everyday.
Question is: Will High School and the Selects choose to implement USA Hockey's rule changes or will they pull a WCHA Officiating mantra and simply call it the first half of the season then stop. Then, when someone calls them on it, they'll bat their eyes and say "We're proud of how well the players have acclimated to the new rules. We hardly had to call the penalties at all."
In other words: Greg Shepherd's MO. In case you didn't already know, the obstruction "crackdown" has been in effect for 2 seasons now (at least). The WCHA has enforced it for precisely .5 seasons (the first half of the season in which it came out) and has not enforced it since.
Chris- You cite the WCHA cannot find 5 good officials. I challenge you to find 2 good officials!
All its going to mean is more special teams play. Like the article said the WCHA can't find 3-5 guys that can officiate a game.
The following sentence is directly from the USA Hockey website:
The goal of the enforcement standard is to reduce restraining infractions in the game and not to remove legal body checking or body contact. A hard body check or using body contact/position (non-checking classifications) to gain a competitive advantage over the opponent should not be penalized as long as it is performed within the rules.
This weekend I watched 6-7 games at the Big Bear Tournament in Canton, Michigan where my son Michael participated and was awarded the MVP of the U-18 division. The refereeing continues to take checking out of the game. Many infractions were called for simple checks. While I have been supportive of tighter calling of the game, this is ridiculous. I am 54 years old. I am a USA member. I have played the wonderful game of hockey since I was a sophomore in 1971 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I was a coach for over ten years. I think I know a little about the game.
The way these games are being called is killing the basics and the pleasure of the game. When a player rubs his stick along an opposing players pants (no tug, no pull) and receives a penalty while clear hits to the head are not called, the game that I have loved is becoming a mockery. When a defenseman can not check the opposing player who has possession of the puck while advancing out of his defensive zone into neutral ice, there is something wrong with how the game is being called. When a player lifting an opposing players stick within 12 inches of the blade to steal the puck is called for hooking, something is wrong with the game.
Something has to be done before the game loses all credibility.
USA Hockey has to do something to halt these terrible calls.
Dennis
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