Yukon Joe
Registered User
OK, so I'm going to start with some throat-clearing - I think I am the last one to complain about the refs. Make a call, don't make a call, call icing or don't call icing - whatever. It's a tough job, they're not making much money, I'm sure they really don't care who wins or loses your average rec or minor hockey game. I work in the justice system so I have a lot of sympathy.
I also know that given the rant I'm going to go on many of you might think the above is bullshit.
But at my middle kid's (U11) hockey game last week was the worst reffing I've ever seen (I'm one of the assistant coaches).
It all went down in the second period. One of our kids goes into the boards, doesn't get up. No whistle. We start screaming for a whistle from the bench. Kid is down for 30 seconds, eventually gets himself to his feet and comes to the bench. We hustle a new kid out there and now comes the whistle - too many men.
All the coaches start losing it. Ref says "well I asked the kid and he seemed fine". We keep an asthma inhaler for this kid on the bench - he couldn't even talk when the ref asked him. And in any event these are kids - you don't rely on a kid to say they're fine or not. But the ref won't hear it - now it's a bench minor, 5 on 3 for two minutes.
Kid never returned to the game, by the way. His nose started bleeding all over the place, his mom came and got him, he was all freaked out. He's only 10.
Anyways during the 5 on 3, kid from the other team goes down. Again no whistle. We start screaming again. Ref gives us another bench minor - putting 3 kids in the box.
Early third period, there's a hit in the corner, one of our kids is down. I think they should have called the hit, but I'll let that go. But again they're really slow on the whistle as the kid doesn't get up. The kid's dad (also an assistant) is jumping on the ice same time / second before the whistle finally goes, he's screaming at the ref. After he helps his kid up he's ejected, yet another bench minor.
FFS - like I said off the top I don't care about calling the plays on the ice one way or another. But when it comes to the safety of kids on the ice that has to be your priority. Or just know that when coaches (who are also parents) are coming from a place about kids safety don't just keep handing out bench minors. We had a light bench to begin with but at one point between the kid who was injured, and 3 in the box we were trying to juggle lines with 6 skaters.
Or tell me I'm wrong. I'm a grown-up and I can take it.
I also know that given the rant I'm going to go on many of you might think the above is bullshit.
But at my middle kid's (U11) hockey game last week was the worst reffing I've ever seen (I'm one of the assistant coaches).
It all went down in the second period. One of our kids goes into the boards, doesn't get up. No whistle. We start screaming for a whistle from the bench. Kid is down for 30 seconds, eventually gets himself to his feet and comes to the bench. We hustle a new kid out there and now comes the whistle - too many men.
All the coaches start losing it. Ref says "well I asked the kid and he seemed fine". We keep an asthma inhaler for this kid on the bench - he couldn't even talk when the ref asked him. And in any event these are kids - you don't rely on a kid to say they're fine or not. But the ref won't hear it - now it's a bench minor, 5 on 3 for two minutes.
Kid never returned to the game, by the way. His nose started bleeding all over the place, his mom came and got him, he was all freaked out. He's only 10.
Anyways during the 5 on 3, kid from the other team goes down. Again no whistle. We start screaming again. Ref gives us another bench minor - putting 3 kids in the box.
Early third period, there's a hit in the corner, one of our kids is down. I think they should have called the hit, but I'll let that go. But again they're really slow on the whistle as the kid doesn't get up. The kid's dad (also an assistant) is jumping on the ice same time / second before the whistle finally goes, he's screaming at the ref. After he helps his kid up he's ejected, yet another bench minor.
FFS - like I said off the top I don't care about calling the plays on the ice one way or another. But when it comes to the safety of kids on the ice that has to be your priority. Or just know that when coaches (who are also parents) are coming from a place about kids safety don't just keep handing out bench minors. We had a light bench to begin with but at one point between the kid who was injured, and 3 in the box we were trying to juggle lines with 6 skaters.
Or tell me I'm wrong. I'm a grown-up and I can take it.