Opinion: Is the NHL inviting its integrity to be questioned?

There definitely was a concerted attempt to influence play in the Rangers favor. If the fix was definitely in then the Rangers would have won that game somehow. However this goes way beyond just one game between the rivals. I think the league is doing all that it can to try and keep the Isles down and out. How else does a blatantly illegal hit on Nielsen go un-punished? I’m sorry but a 2 min penalty just does not count as punishment when the play in question left a player out cold on the ice and with a concussion. My 2nd exhibit is how did Gillies’ hit on Cal Clutterbuck warrant a 10 game suspension but Clutterbuck’s hit on DiBo immediately before warrant nothing? The league is doing all that it can to maintain it’s status quo and part of that is the Islanders are one of the worst teams in the league and have been for as long as anyone can remember. That whole 1980’s dynasty thing was just something that happened in remote antiquity and should never be brought up again as far as the NHL is concerned.

If next year the Isles receive the same “quality” officitating then my suspicions will be confirmed.

Something was downright pathetic in that game, but I’m usually the last to think of Donaghy-like conspiracy or implied directives. (Still, reviewing the penalties with less emotional hindsight still leaves me scratching my head.)

Rather, I think refs know what’s at stake, maybe they’ve read bad press about the Isles (or, if Konopka’s frequent 10-minute misconducts are any indication, they get impatient with some of the Isles), so they don’t give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe subconsciously they think it doesn’t matter if they hurt the Isles chances of getting from 70 to 72 points in a lottery season, but if they do something to hurt a playoff team they’ll be hearing from their bosses. (Colie email anyone?!)

So like ticking off the parent who will punish you less, they are oriented to err on the side of the team for whom big mistakes will hurt them. That’s how I explain it anyway, to keep me from feeling like I’m watching WWE.

Of course they couldn’t entirely control the outcome of the Islander-Ranger game in question without outright disallowing several goals. But anyone who watched the game can only conclude that it wasn’t for lack of trying. I would challenge any neutral and hockey-savvy observer to watch a tape of the game, take notes, and come to another conclusion.

And yes, the NHL should keep its long-term integrity in mind. It may not become a big problem now, but incidents such as this are now beginning to rapidly accumulate.

It seems “players” are called more often than penalties. But that Gaborik got nothing at all in terms of suspensions annoyed me more than the officiating. I don’t think refs are in on the fix, I just think they’re not very good. More concerned with “making a point” and “establishing control” then in calling the games by the rules.

I mean all you have to do is look at the Gaborik penalty and wonder WTF? I mean its clearly seen in the video that the ref is looking right at the play. Its also clear the Frans was at least 3 ft from the boards. The call should’ve been automatic. Then they even up the call??

This of course goes beyond one game tho. This has been an epidemic for the last decade going all the way back to the Leafs-Islanders series with the Peca and Jonnson hits. I’m sure everyone on this board could go back in their brains and remember a flagrant BS penalty call over the last 10 years and we’d all come up with unique examples.

Besides having the crews on the box score are there ref stats available on the web?

Officiating are like budgets they reflect the philosophy of the leadership of the organization.

No other sports organization tolerates the behaviors of players and leaders the way the NHL does.

Dumbbell would have been fired from most organization for his email rant about his son. That was absolutely a conflict of interest and over reach on the part of an executive of an organization. What was his discipline? Nothing.

We all know the Dumbbell Wheel of Injustice doesn’t work and is confusing. But again, no other support would allow the on ice activities that the NHL allows. I can’t imagine the NBA or NFL allowing a player to elbow another in the head and not be suspended. If a player pushes an on field official they are subject to ejection and possible suspension.

This is a reflection of the incompetence of Bettman and his let boys be boys unless it is one of the original 6 teams or Pittsburgh. They are protected while teams like the Islanders are the permanent whipping boys.

And I have some backups in case it catches on fire.
In seriousness though, I think the main issue this year has been inconsistent reffing. I haven’t watched enough of your games to get an idea if you are really getting screwed, so I’ll take your word for it. But there was a good stretch of games about a month ago where Vancouver only got 1/2 powerplays a game, and the other team got 5/6. That felt a little out of proportion, because Van wasn’t just sitting around not moving.

I hesitate to say there is anything remotely close to a conspiracy or a “nudge nudge, wink wink” kind of thing going on, because there’s no way that could be kept tightly under wraps.
I wonder if it has something to do with the 2 ref system. Would some refs defer to their partner for some calls, and not make the ones they would make, or make a call because they feel their partner would have done it?

The refs were trying to GIVE US the game with all those penalties. They were more than aware we can only score on the PK right now.

The NHL media, and now its officiating, remind me more of the movie “Mean Girls” than a group of professional adults. “Like, ohmygod, ignore herrrr. She’s not even, like, popularrrrr.” Gutless pukes.

lol, this is technically the closest poll on anything I’ve posted. Also love the wrestling discussion.It seems like every time we discuss refs the WWF gets brought up. That’s not saying much for NHL refs.