Open Letter To Gary Bettman (NHL Commissioner)

[Kevan]

Mr. Bettman,

You and your staff are making it harder and harder to be a fan in the NHL. Your actions (and non-actions) have made it VERY difficult for me to continue to watch and attend NHL games.

In the past decade and a half, I have witnessed some extremely questionable calls. I understand that not everything can be seen as it happens on the ice, and that sometimes calls will be missed and mistakes will be made. Tonight, however, it was lowered that to an entirely new level.

The officiating crew of the CBJ vs. DET game on April 23, 2009 performed their duties pitifully. Throughout the entire 08-09 season, I have seen incredibly biased penalty calls all around the NHL.
But nothing like what I witnessed at the game tonight.

The final penalty of "Too Many Men On The Ice" was completely wrong and inappropriate.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the referees fixed the game with that call.
If I was a new fan to hockey, I'd certainly think that.

These are your employees and they are not doing their job properly. At any other company, they would be fired.

The time has come for me to choose whether I spend thousands of dollars to renew my season tickets for next season. If no firm actions are taken about the officiating in the NHL, I see no reason why I should spend that money. I love watching hockey in person, but if there's nothing substantial done about the biased officiating, I have no desire to attend or watch NHL games in the future.

Thank you for your time.


Sincerely,


Kevan J. Geier
2008-2009 Columbus Blue Jackets Season Ticket Holder

[Groff]

Amen!

[troyguitar]

?

There were 6 skaters on the ice.

[Kevan]

Originally Posted by troyguitar

?

There were 6 skaters on the ice.

As there were dozens of times during the previous 55 minutes of the game. With no calls.
As there are during all games. With no calls.

Periods 2 and (most of) 3 of Game 4 were played with 'Hudson Bay Rules'. This was apparent as both teams took advantage of the refs taking the "just let them play" stance. I saw hooks, elbows to noses, guys going through Mason's and Osgood's pockets.....it was absolute playoff hockey.

BUT....with less than 3 minutes left, all of a sudden it becomes a teaching example?

That's poor officiating.
You can't have it both ways.
It confuses the players and coaches, but the fans even moreso.

[troyguitar]

That's like complaining to the cops for pulling you over because they didn't pull over everyone else you saw speeding that week...

You might have a point, but you still broke the rules.

[playstopause]

^

That's a poor comparasion IMO.

There's 2 refs for 12 players on the ice... Refs need to be consistant with their calls, wich they are not, no matter what team is playing. This is a "disease" that's been going on for quite some time now and the NHL is not taking that problem seriously enough.

Of course there's going to be bad calls... But man, when a player get cross-checked in the ref's face and he's not calling it and then 2 minutes later the same happens and he calls it, there's a freakin' problem. It happens A LOT with many different calls. I've watched every f*ckin' game of the Habs for the last 25 years and in recent years, it really got worse.

I agree with Kevan here that it confuses the players and coaches and the fans.

[troyguitar]

You guys are right, but you're focusing on the wrong call IMO.

Complain about the penalties that were not called and/or the non-penalties that were called. Don't complain about the time that they finally did get a call right...

[Leon]

Originally Posted by playstopause

This is a "disease" that's been going on for quite some time now and Every Professional Sporting Commission is not taking that problem seriously enough.

[Kevan]

Originally Posted by troyguitar

You guys are right, but you're focusing on the wrong call IMO.

Complain about the penalties that were not called and/or the non-penalties that were called. Don't complain about the time that they finally did get a call right...

Conversely, we shouldn't have to cheer them when they do get a call correct.

You might want to re-read my letter.
I cite one call in particular, but the main content is regarding the (alleged) officiating.

Think of that call as the straw that broke the camels back.
Or lead pipe.
Whichever.

If you read the 30+ pages of the 2008-2009 NHL thread here (or on MG.org), you'll find plenty of posts from me and others wondering where the officiating is.
From pre-season to last game....it's all in there.
Hell, check out the NHL thread from the season before! I'm pretty sure there are a few in there as well.
It has progressively gotten worse.
A change needs to happen, or they'll lose at least one fan (and a few thousand dollars).

[troyguitar]

I don't disagree with your message, but it's just hard to take it seriously when your shining example of bad officiating happens to be a call which was made correctly and caused your team to lose a close playoff game. It makes you look like a whiner instead of someone with a legitimate gripe (of which you are the latter, but do you see what I'm saying?).

You would do better to pick examples of bad calls made which unjustly helped Columbus or just use games where Columbus didn't play at all.

[bulletbass man]

Originally Posted by troyguitar

Speaking of interesting calls...

I still don't understand why, in this age of a million video cameras and easy wireless communication, these types of calls cannot be corrected almost instantly.

Just look at the Pens-Flyers series. There were horrendous calls thruout much of that series. There was a slashing call where the announcers were having trouble finding the slash since it was basically nonexistant. There were hooking calls when a player just touched the other player with his stick and didn't even tug or actually hook the person. Refs constantly tried to balance out penalties so that when Briere gets cross checked several times the ref doesn't call it until he is on his knees and cross checked again. Yet when Knuble had already established his position and hardly touched Orpik who clearly dove (don't tell me the Pens best hitter can't take a small push) they call it so it doesn't look like it's one sided. There was a time Malkin was tripped and it wasn't called.

The Richard's Kneeing penalty last year was another prime example.

Ever since the new rules were instigated there is a constant game of are the refs going to make so many calls there are combined 15+ powerplay or are they just going to let the players play. And worse so it changes game to game both in the and out of the playoffs. Don't get me wrong getting rid of two line pass was a great thing for hockey. But the delay of game penalties (especially when it's not 5 on 5 hockey) are just stupid. The breaking of the stick is another terrible rule. That penalty basically cost the flyers Game II and then killed the chances of Penguins coming back when Crosby got that call in the other game (game 5 I believe).

The officiating needs to be drastically standardized. Especially in the playoffs where those differences cost teams entire seasons. Also costs those teams essentially what could be millions of dollars. Personally If I were a Detroit fan and saw the call above I highly doubt I would ever go to another playoff game. Who wants to spend over a 100 dollars to see your team lose because of a terrible reffing call.

[AgentWalrus]

Originally Posted by Kevan

The final penalty of "Too Many Men On The Ice" was completely wrong and inappropriate.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the referees fixed the game with that call.

you are just dead wrong, sorry no other way to put it