[CHICAGO, IL] -- It is not an easy
thing to referee a hockey game. I know this because I used to
officiate kids' games when I was in high school, and again after
college. The game moves much faster on the ice than it appears to from
the stands. I could barely keep up with 9-year-olds, so I can't
imagine trying to officiate a flawless game at the speed and violence
of the NHL game.
So I certainly can't imagine trying to officiate it with the NHL's
principal minister of discipline, Senior V.P. Colin Campbell, sitting
over my shoulder.
Let's go back to last Friday night, when Detroit's Niklas Kronwall
steamrolled Chicago's Martin Havlat and scrambled Havlat's thought
process for a few minutes. Neither official on the ice had his hand up
to call a penalty until they saw Havlat prone and motionless on the
ice. At real speed, the play clearly looked like charging. Replay
indicated otherwise. In the end, the Hawks helped Havlat to the bench,
while the officials helped Kronwall to the locker room -- giving him a
5-minute interference major and a game misconduct. Both teams were
livid -- the Hawks because they thought Kronwall took advantage of
Havlat being vulnerable. The Wings because they felt Kronwall
shouldn't have been penalized at all.
When asked the next day if he thought it was a good hit, Campbell
replied, "I thought it was a GREAT hit." Needless to say, Kronwall
received no further punishment.
For the record, and keep in mind I'm with the Blackhawks year-round, I
agree with Campbell's assessment of the play. Kronwall's hit was close
to about three different penalties, but it didn't measure up to any of
them. It was a vicious hit, a ferocious hit. But ultimately, one that
probably didn't deserve to be penalized on the ice and certainly
shouldn't have been penalized with a further suspension.
But Campbell's subjective opinion is not only irrelevant, it's
inappropriate, and in this case it's asinine as well. A statement like
that one sends a public message to the officials that they erred on
the ice. It sends a public message to the officials of future games in
the series that one team received a significant break. And it
embarrasses the victim of the hit, who at the time appeared to suffer
a serious head injury. Regardless of its accuracy, Campbell's
statements are beneath a senior-level league official.
What Colin Campbell should say is very simple. Something along the
lines of, "That was not a play deserving more punishment." Or, "After
further review, the League will not administer further penalties on
Niklas Kronwall." Those are the judicious, measured words of a person
in command of his job.
But Campbell is not measured, and his ability to be judicious when
handing out justice is specious at best.
Keep in mind that earlier in the playoffs, Campbell dismissed the
(on-ice) illegal actions of certain players by saying, "We know what
kind of player he is. He's not a dirty player."
Again, that kind of sentiment
embarrasses the victim of said illegal action. And hopefully the next
time that certain player commits a potentially suspendable offense, he
doesn't have a clean slate. Likely, though, he will, because the
incident didn't get placed on his public record.
So I couldn't imagine being a referee trying to get everything right
on the ice. Not when my boss is looming in some dark room off-the-ice
in Toronto, ready to second-guess my every call.
Josh
Mora,
a Columnist with TheFourthPeriod.com, is an Anchor and
Blackhawks Reporter with Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.
