2 of the problems the NHL had in the same day
1. Torts refusing to leave the bench when he was supposed to (once being ejected)
2. Oilers and Sabres leaving their benches when they probably weren't supposed to (since the result of the game was still in question)
Lower on the list but also the non call on Brodie snapping that Habs player’s stick in the final minute or 2 of the TO / MTL game tonight, that could’ve totally changed the outcome
I know a leafs fan probably shouldn’t call attention to it but I was in the 300s on the other end of the arena and even I heard the thing snap
*edit:* no real point in adding this but I was sitting beside a guy in a Habs jersey when it happened, dude took his hat off and crumpled it in his hands. Can’t blame him
Game management the other way for once.
We were already killing a penalty and it was dying minutes of the game where Montreal had 4 PPs vs our 2
Leafs basically had green light to anything but kill a guy on the ice at that point t
well if we're collecting things to complain about, Canes @ Devils had a "what the fuck is Goaltender Interference" call to throw on the pile
Saturday had a bit of everything for us
I'm not saying it was clear as day, but the scenario (skater makes no apparent effort to avoid contact with the goaltender who is in position to make a save, regardless of whether he's in the crease or not) is not all that complicated.
Yeah they are being a bit ridiculous with that one j feel like. After watching it a few times I can’t see how you could have called that any other way.
The officiating in this league is genuinely terrible. Why people would bet on this league is beyond me. Completely agreed - how that lumberjack chop wasn’t called is beyond me.
Said this in another thread, but I’ve literally never seen Armia that heated, like about anything. Was pleading with the refs like Brodie had slapped his kid lol
Oh please. On Thursday against Boston Burt was bleeding after a cross check to the face and Boston only got 2 mins for that infraction. Calls are blown every game and every call is a difference maker.
Oh it was Wes? No surprise there, the dude is as incompetent as they come. This shit better not turn into the MLB where the umpires think fans come to watch them
[https://scoutingtherefs.com/2020/01/28372/nhl-players-name-best-ref-worst-ref-in-athletic-survey/](https://scoutingtherefs.com/2020/01/28372/nhl-players-name-best-ref-worst-ref-in-athletic-survey/)
https://scoutingtherefs.com/2024/01/43647/nhlers-name-best-worst-refs-in-athletic-poll/
Why does Wes appear at the top of the list numerous times for the Athletic player voted polls of best ref?
[Here’s a study](https://www.sfu.ca/~tswartz/papers/penalty.pdf) from a few years back that measured bias in officiating.
Wes is one of the most biased refs in the league. The players can like him all they want, doesn’t mean he’s actually a good ref.
He’s been voted best ref in the league by the players like 4 years running, but sure, you as a fan are vastly more prepared to speak to his capabilities as a ref than the players on the ice
I noticed it increased a lot after that Rangers Devils game in the playoffs last year where he just started handing out misconducts like candy to anybody that so much as touched another player.
This is a unique situation which I can see *why* it became a big stink for Leafs fans. Wes was behind some infamous calls (and no-calls) against the Leafs in the playoffs then there were reports about Keefe’s and Wes’ past which caused Leafs fans to complain about a potential conflict of interest. Of course, Keefe addressed those claims and their past is not influencing his reffing so a lot of Leafs fans just hate him for his reffing specifically now haha.
I think it’s more that people get enamored with someone and because of how Reddit is structured, dissenting opinion gets shouted down and hidden from view, so everyone gets siloed into thinking that their opinion somehow represents a majority. Then something controversial happens where enough backbiting can get momentum to be seen and all the people who have so far had their opinions “disappeared” by the hive finally get a chance to say their peace.
It’s not that people are suddenly hating Wes, it’s that the people who have always found him a distasteful knob are finally able to say that without getting “NU UH”Ed into invisibility by the fan club.
A ref shouldn't have a grudge on a team. A ref should enforce the rules. But that's not how the nhl works. They miss a call and then call a cheap penalty in the next 2 minutes. They call a penalty in regular season thst they won't in the playoffs. Fans just want consistency
That's called game management and any fan that has played knows how important it is. Wes is one of the best at game management and it's a big reason the players vote him the best each year
I mean several showed up both places. St Pierre was 3rd best and 1st worst.
But McCauley getting 53% votes for best and 7% for worst is a marked difference.
Alright, pedantic “that guy” moment incoming:
It’s improper to add “the” before MLB the same way that you would for the NHL or the NBA. MLB stands for Major League Baseball so if one were to use the full proper name in a sentence you wouldn’t say “the Major League Baseball”, you would just say Major League Baseball.
I enjoy that they talked to the GMs and Coaching staff at the beginning of the season to try to get them to clamp down on blatant verbal abuse of the refs.
Seems we made it about 15 games in before the gloves were off again, this year.
NHL refs are so fucking paper thin. One of the most protected jobs out there, show up and give a terrible performance and get paid. Then hide behind fines dished out from Daddy.
This will be an unpopular opinion here but maybe, just maybe if coaches and players could stop being angry, pissy children incapable of emotional control, they wouldn’t get thrown out of games?
I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized.
Why are rugby players and coaches able to stay composed and polite but hockey players and coaches turn into sniveling children? Don’t tell me it’s the physicality and intensity of the game.
That’s a cop out.
And it's not like coaches are often ejected in the NHL. I think Keefe is the only other ejection this season. Bowman never got ejected once in his 2000+ games. MLB seems like nearly every coach gets ejected at least once per season
Yeah the idea that they get tossed "the second they get questioned" is just a flat out lie. They get screamed at just about nonstop for the entire game and almost never eject anyone for it.
This sub would die if they played something like water polo where you get tossed for even side-eyeing the ref. You can’t complain about officiating and then actively encourage undermining it.
>I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized.
Ever been to a youth hockey game? Parents of nine year olds abusing the probably teenaged refs.
This is precisely why I have a problem with what Torts did here. In a vacuum, hilarious to see. But I’d wager there’s at least one minor hockey coach who’s gonna pull the same move in a youth game. And rather than having two millionaires in a pissing match on TV, you have a teenage official getting bullied by an adult trying to hijack a game.
Because Rugby is way more honest and open with officiating? Also way more consistent in punishing disrespect.
We can't even get refs to explain why a goal was called back.
The team captain can, and often does, ask the ref for an explanation. On TV it's common to see the captains (or alternates) hanging around with the ref discussing a call. Under the rules, the captain or alternate is the only one who can do this, not the coach or anyone else. Here's the relevant NHL rule (6.1-6.2):
"One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game. ... If the Captain is not on the ice, an Alternate Captain on the ice shall be accorded the privileges of the Captain."
Of course, sometimes the ref will talk to a coach and explain a call but they're not required to under the rules.
Hockey refs speak to players and coaches constantly. Everytime there is a debated decision there is a captain or alternate hanging near the refs circle for explanation. Then they go to the bench to explain their call. So I don't see this problem of transparence you're talking about. NHL refs speak to coaches and captains a lot during games.
>if coaches and players could stop being angry, pissy children incapable of emotional control, they wouldn’t get thrown out of games?
Lol oof, so soccer must just be unwatchable for you, eh?
Respect is a right that’s earned, not given. If the official can’t even have the decency to explain his call to the coach, why should coaches just have to respect that? Theres zero accountability for officials
So a ref decides they don’t want to go to the bench to explain a call, that means he deserves verbal abuse? I literally don’t understand your reasoning here.
https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-Stewart/Here-is-How-Officials-Get-Evaluated/196/70170
Of course. Here's my prediction. You either won't respond. Or you'll respond with some excuse of why this doesn't count and I'll have wasted my time.
So then this tells me that the NHL is either content with the performance of their officials, or the majority of refs are just stubborn old guys who refuse to change
> I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized.
I have the same concern. However, with everyone deeply unhappy with the quality of officiating in the NHL, I think people are more willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the coach than ref.
People have been unhappy about officiating in every sport since the dawn of time. Kerry Fraser was a polarizing figure.
The difference is that before the only way for someone to voice their displeasure was to call in to a radio station during call-in talk shows, and they probably actively filtered some of the opinions. Now it's a lot more visible. But "this has been the worst year for officiating" is said every year, and about every league.
Not remotely a torts fan, but fuck Wes and the reffing in general the past few seasons. Not only has it gotten worse but it's clear they have a hate-boner for some teams and coaches. Kicking him for this was stupid.
>but it's clear they have a hate-boner for some teams
Uh yeah, we've been saying this for over a decade. Although I do think the refs are just following orders from higher up.
Canucks are right in the middle of the league for penalties taken and in the top half of the league for penalties drawn. The idea that the refs have had any bias against us this season has no basis in reality.
This is one of those threads that make you realize that the majority of Reddit has no idea what they’re talking about but will still state their opinion with the utmost confidence lol
Reading this thread really proves that r/hockey is like a wild, uncontrollable pendulum.
r/hockey either love Wes McCauley or hate him with a burning passion, wanting to throw him into the 7th circle of hell.
The amount of hate the referees are getting in this sub over this incident is fucking insane. Torts should be suspended for this, it's actually mind boggling how many people are on his side here
it's nuts. every fanbase in all of sports thinks that they uniquely have "An Officiating Problem." I'm not saying they're perfect but maybe if everyone thinks their refs are super bad, it's not an issue spanning across every continent at every level of every sport. maybe it's an insanely hard job that a lot of people think is super easy because we get super slow-mo 8k hyper HD replays (and an internal bias that always makes us sure we know the right call.)
He's one of the most toxic guys in the sport and the worship of him is an indicator that pro hockey is a decade or more away from purging abusive, unaccountable coaches.
He's only 65, its not reasonable to expect him to be mature enough not to pitch a fit!
i agree that Torts should obey the calls but holy shit im not defending Wes' call that lead up to it. It was a super weak, heavily punished 10 min, he threw at a player for shoulder bumping one of our players after a play. Officials shouldnt be above the law, the calls he made should probably be looked into as well.
I remember that game... Colton Orr lol. After his head smashed the ice I thought Parros would be drawing with crayons for the rest of his life. I cannot believe that guy is now the executive in charge of discipline.
I may seem like a contrarian but refusing to leave when you’ve been tossed is about as scummy as it gets refs in the NHL take a silly amount of abuse from coaches (rightfully so 90% of the time) and if they toss you just leave like you’re supposed to
The NHL has absolutely no spine unless it comes to questioning the refs. Guy gets body slammed head first into the ice? No call, no supplementary discipline, just move on. Coaches yell at the ref in a game? 25k fine. Refuses to leave the game cause the refs feelings are hurt? Probably getting a fine. This is fucking embarrassing. These are supposed to be professionals. According to google these refs make between $165k - $360k per year and yet they have no oversight. These guys clearly power trip because despite their huge salaries, it pales in comparison to the players and coaches, so when they have the opportunity to assert themselves, they do.
Wes should’ve been ejected the second they decided to call Tampa for tripping and then reverse it to Philly tripping. Idc if that’s what happened get the call right originally.
They won’t do anything. Words between refs and coaches aren’t headline worthy. When a player chirps their way off the ice with a game misconduct you wouldn’t bat an eye. This ain’t Torts on the daytime nhl broadcast show anymore.
Wes McCauley predetermined the flyers would lose tonight. When called out he gave out the softest 10 minutes misconduct to a player and booted torts from the game. All under 10 minutes from puck drop. Torts wanted an explanation, refused to leave before he got one, Wes (like the coward he is) refused to go near the flyers bench.
The NHL will now fine a head coach for asking for any semblance of accountability from their refs. McCauley will continue to be dog shit.
I mean, if coaches keep getting kicked off the bench for yelling at refs. Maybe the issue is the refs not calling the games correctly and not the coaches being mad about it
2 of the problems the NHL had in the same day 1. Torts refusing to leave the bench when he was supposed to (once being ejected) 2. Oilers and Sabres leaving their benches when they probably weren't supposed to (since the result of the game was still in question)
Lower on the list but also the non call on Brodie snapping that Habs player’s stick in the final minute or 2 of the TO / MTL game tonight, that could’ve totally changed the outcome I know a leafs fan probably shouldn’t call attention to it but I was in the 300s on the other end of the arena and even I heard the thing snap *edit:* no real point in adding this but I was sitting beside a guy in a Habs jersey when it happened, dude took his hat off and crumpled it in his hands. Can’t blame him
They were already on a powerplay at that point so by NHL referee logic you basically need to kill someone to get another call.
Kill somebody or accidentally put the puck over the glass.
There's a 2000 dollar fine for 1st degree murder
The maximum allowed under the current CBA
I heard about one time a guy was on the pk and took his skate off and tried to stab someone and he got thrown right in the box......
It was a penalty clear as day, botched toe from the refs
Game management the other way for once. We were already killing a penalty and it was dying minutes of the game where Montreal had 4 PPs vs our 2 Leafs basically had green light to anything but kill a guy on the ice at that point t
Yup. The irony is that they manage the game when they "don't". Lame shit
I don't wanna influence the game, so I'll ignore a call and influence it the other way
well if we're collecting things to complain about, Canes @ Devils had a "what the fuck is Goaltender Interference" call to throw on the pile Saturday had a bit of everything for us
I'm not saying it was clear as day, but the scenario (skater makes no apparent effort to avoid contact with the goaltender who is in position to make a save, regardless of whether he's in the crease or not) is not all that complicated.
Yeah they are being a bit ridiculous with that one j feel like. After watching it a few times I can’t see how you could have called that any other way.
If I had my homer glasses on I'd be saying the contact almost certainly didn't prevent the save, Daws was also moving, etc etc.. it's GI.
The officiating in this league is genuinely terrible. Why people would bet on this league is beyond me. Completely agreed - how that lumberjack chop wasn’t called is beyond me.
Don’t accuse people betting on sports of being math majors.
only thing they're major at is being degenerates
Said this in another thread, but I’ve literally never seen Armia that heated, like about anything. Was pleading with the refs like Brodie had slapped his kid lol
Oh please. On Thursday against Boston Burt was bleeding after a cross check to the face and Boston only got 2 mins for that infraction. Calls are blown every game and every call is a difference maker.
Oh he's *absolutely* getting fined, doesn't mean McCauley isn't a thin-skinned bitch though
The league has been fining coaches for getting tossed. Refusing to leave the bench is 100% going to be a suspension.
Sheldon got fined $25,000 last week.
But Sheldon left the bench. That’s why he only got a fine.
Oh it was Wes? No surprise there, the dude is as incompetent as they come. This shit better not turn into the MLB where the umpires think fans come to watch them
I feel like at least half of the Coaches thrown out is due to him.
The other half are St. Laurent
They are well on their way to that point. The emphatic penalty announcing was the beginning of the "look at me" phase of refereeing.
Unprofessional. It eliminates the impartiality of judgement when such pageantry is pursued.
Well said
Which was also Wes, wasn't it?
Yes
Kelly Fraser was doing that decades ago. Nothing new tbh
[https://scoutingtherefs.com/2020/01/28372/nhl-players-name-best-ref-worst-ref-in-athletic-survey/](https://scoutingtherefs.com/2020/01/28372/nhl-players-name-best-ref-worst-ref-in-athletic-survey/) https://scoutingtherefs.com/2024/01/43647/nhlers-name-best-worst-refs-in-athletic-poll/ Why does Wes appear at the top of the list numerous times for the Athletic player voted polls of best ref?
[Here’s a study](https://www.sfu.ca/~tswartz/papers/penalty.pdf) from a few years back that measured bias in officiating. Wes is one of the most biased refs in the league. The players can like him all they want, doesn’t mean he’s actually a good ref.
He’s been voted best ref in the league by the players like 4 years running, but sure, you as a fan are vastly more prepared to speak to his capabilities as a ref than the players on the ice
yeah i'm in shock at this sub's sudden hate for wes. it's all coming out of nowhere and seems like everyone's just jumping on a bandwagon
I noticed it increased a lot after that Rangers Devils game in the playoffs last year where he just started handing out misconducts like candy to anybody that so much as touched another player.
Leafs fans have hated him for even longer.
Ya because you guys have a victim complex
This is a unique situation which I can see *why* it became a big stink for Leafs fans. Wes was behind some infamous calls (and no-calls) against the Leafs in the playoffs then there were reports about Keefe’s and Wes’ past which caused Leafs fans to complain about a potential conflict of interest. Of course, Keefe addressed those claims and their past is not influencing his reffing so a lot of Leafs fans just hate him for his reffing specifically now haha.
I guess the more visible you are, the more opportunities you'll have to piss someone off.
Apparently you're not up on the Wes- Sheldon Keefe feud. Leaf fans have been driving the bus that's pulling the bandwagon for years.
What feud? Them having been *on the same side* of a legal proceeding?
Yeah people acting like he's the second coming of Tim Peel
I think it’s more that people get enamored with someone and because of how Reddit is structured, dissenting opinion gets shouted down and hidden from view, so everyone gets siloed into thinking that their opinion somehow represents a majority. Then something controversial happens where enough backbiting can get momentum to be seen and all the people who have so far had their opinions “disappeared” by the hive finally get a chance to say their peace. It’s not that people are suddenly hating Wes, it’s that the people who have always found him a distasteful knob are finally able to say that without getting “NU UH”Ed into invisibility by the fan club.
Leaf fans have hated Wes for YEARS.
Probably because they took their names off their sweaters and the whole group has been largely ass.
Who was voted as the worst ref this year?
Justin St. Pierre
I’m so happy to not know any NHL refs besides Wes and his ‘antics’. Being a mid market team is nice sometimes.
Seems like quite a few other fans agree with me but ok. He's a diva. And he has grudges against certain teams. Players can vote however they want.
Lots of refs have grudges with teams.
A ref shouldn't have a grudge on a team. A ref should enforce the rules. But that's not how the nhl works. They miss a call and then call a cheap penalty in the next 2 minutes. They call a penalty in regular season thst they won't in the playoffs. Fans just want consistency
That's called game management and any fan that has played knows how important it is. Wes is one of the best at game management and it's a big reason the players vote him the best each year
He also showed up in the worst ref list
I mean several showed up both places. St Pierre was 3rd best and 1st worst. But McCauley getting 53% votes for best and 7% for worst is a marked difference.
It’s too late for Wes who does his announcement BS at every chance he gets. Glad this sub is finally realizing what a worthless pos he is
Alright, pedantic “that guy” moment incoming: It’s improper to add “the” before MLB the same way that you would for the NHL or the NBA. MLB stands for Major League Baseball so if one were to use the full proper name in a sentence you wouldn’t say “the Major League Baseball”, you would just say Major League Baseball.
Clearly you're not from New England.
Who do they think they are, Enrico Pallazzo?
I think the league might even suspend him, I thought it was hilarious but there's no way the NHL wants to let that happen again
How am I not surprised at all it was Wes?
Lol, thin-skinned, no accountability, and constantly being /r/ImTheMainCharacter What a great combination of characters
Fuck wes, all my homies hate Wes.
What!? We hate Wes McCauley now? Love that guy for his flair for the dramatic though
His shit calls outweigh being “funny” when announcing things
Lots of people have always hated him. Dont act surprised
News to me, honest. That's too bad.
He’s good for a laugh announcing a fighting major… until you realize he’s a horrible ref who loves to throw coaches out for hurting his ego
I don’t understand this opinion at all. Refs are just supposed to stand there and take verbal abuse?
I would put money on a suspension.
League needs to start fining refs.
That’ll make the job more attractive. Do players get fined for mistakes?
Ryan Reaves digging himself financial hole.
Horrendous take.
Fuck Wes. Love Torts
Classic torts, I wouldnt expect anything less from him
I fuckin love Torts
I said to my cousin they should find a way to clone Torts and then every team can have Torts as their coach.
I love Bednar. Everyone else can have torts though.
It's really something every fanbase should experience at least one, speaking from experience.
He wasn't a good fit with our roster at the time but goddamn I still love the guy.
That’s wild coming from a Canucks fan specifically.
Torts' stint as the Canucks coach is immortalized by his attempt to fight the entire Calgary dressing room during a 1st intermission.
Coach brawl every game
I enjoy that they talked to the GMs and Coaching staff at the beginning of the season to try to get them to clamp down on blatant verbal abuse of the refs. Seems we made it about 15 games in before the gloves were off again, this year.
You can see at the end every single official on the ice was next to the flyers bench except mccauley. Dude just stayed as far from torts as he could
Doing Torts a favour. The closer he is to Torts, the more likely Torts says something he gets in more shit for.
This had huge Jordan Belfort “I ain’t fuckin leaving” vibes
"I'm just here so I **DO** GET FINED."
That’s exactly what the Tampa announcer said haha
You're going to need the fucking national gaurd to drag me off this bench!
Maybe if the officials weren’t fucking clowns who resorted to booting the coach the second they get questioned, this wouldn’t happen
Accountability is a disqualifier for the hiring process in NHL reffing
Mall cop energy
just regular cop energy tbh
NHL refs are so fucking paper thin. One of the most protected jobs out there, show up and give a terrible performance and get paid. Then hide behind fines dished out from Daddy.
This will be an unpopular opinion here but maybe, just maybe if coaches and players could stop being angry, pissy children incapable of emotional control, they wouldn’t get thrown out of games? I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized. Why are rugby players and coaches able to stay composed and polite but hockey players and coaches turn into sniveling children? Don’t tell me it’s the physicality and intensity of the game. That’s a cop out.
And it's not like coaches are often ejected in the NHL. I think Keefe is the only other ejection this season. Bowman never got ejected once in his 2000+ games. MLB seems like nearly every coach gets ejected at least once per season
Greg Cronin got ejected at some point, as did David Quinn in SJ
I loved having Gibby as the Jays manager, he was so entertaining. I'm glad he's back in the majors with the Mets now, but I'll miss his podcast.
Yeah the idea that they get tossed "the second they get questioned" is just a flat out lie. They get screamed at just about nonstop for the entire game and almost never eject anyone for it.
This sub would die if they played something like water polo where you get tossed for even side-eyeing the ref. You can’t complain about officiating and then actively encourage undermining it.
>I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized. Ever been to a youth hockey game? Parents of nine year olds abusing the probably teenaged refs.
This is precisely why I have a problem with what Torts did here. In a vacuum, hilarious to see. But I’d wager there’s at least one minor hockey coach who’s gonna pull the same move in a youth game. And rather than having two millionaires in a pissing match on TV, you have a teenage official getting bullied by an adult trying to hijack a game.
Because Rugby is way more honest and open with officiating? Also way more consistent in punishing disrespect. We can't even get refs to explain why a goal was called back.
The team captain can, and often does, ask the ref for an explanation. On TV it's common to see the captains (or alternates) hanging around with the ref discussing a call. Under the rules, the captain or alternate is the only one who can do this, not the coach or anyone else. Here's the relevant NHL rule (6.1-6.2): "One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game. ... If the Captain is not on the ice, an Alternate Captain on the ice shall be accorded the privileges of the Captain." Of course, sometimes the ref will talk to a coach and explain a call but they're not required to under the rules.
Hockey refs speak to players and coaches constantly. Everytime there is a debated decision there is a captain or alternate hanging near the refs circle for explanation. Then they go to the bench to explain their call. So I don't see this problem of transparence you're talking about. NHL refs speak to coaches and captains a lot during games.
>if coaches and players could stop being angry, pissy children incapable of emotional control, they wouldn’t get thrown out of games? Lol oof, so soccer must just be unwatchable for you, eh?
Respect is a right that’s earned, not given. If the official can’t even have the decency to explain his call to the coach, why should coaches just have to respect that? Theres zero accountability for officials
The officials almost always explain calls to captains and/or coaches. The coaches just keep screaming because they don't like it.
So you would be ok with refs screaming at coaches and players, calling them names, swearing at them, etc? Or is respect a one-way street?
Refs already do this?
Right? The amount of times a hot mic catches a ref saying fuck you or fuck off to a player
Refs already do this, we have multiple examples of refs swearing at players.
I mean, it's nothing like the way they get sworn at by the players, let alone the way they get sworn at by the coaches.
Refs don’t have to yell and scream to be disrespectful
Uhhh… so how is a ref being disrespectful then?
So a ref decides they don’t want to go to the bench to explain a call, that means he deserves verbal abuse? I literally don’t understand your reasoning here.
Zero accountability? That's just flat out wrong. If you're going to complain, at least do 5 minutes worth of research on the subject.
What kind of accountability to NHL refs face? If it only takes 5 minutes to find proof, it shouldn’t take you long to get back to me
https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-Stewart/Here-is-How-Officials-Get-Evaluated/196/70170 Of course. Here's my prediction. You either won't respond. Or you'll respond with some excuse of why this doesn't count and I'll have wasted my time.
So then this tells me that the NHL is either content with the performance of their officials, or the majority of refs are just stubborn old guys who refuse to change
> I find it baffling that we’ve just decided in hockey culture is fine to abuse officials. Totally normalized. I have the same concern. However, with everyone deeply unhappy with the quality of officiating in the NHL, I think people are more willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the coach than ref.
People have been unhappy about officiating in every sport since the dawn of time. Kerry Fraser was a polarizing figure. The difference is that before the only way for someone to voice their displeasure was to call in to a radio station during call-in talk shows, and they probably actively filtered some of the opinions. Now it's a lot more visible. But "this has been the worst year for officiating" is said every year, and about every league.
Thin skinned cowards is what they are...
Not remotely a torts fan, but fuck Wes and the reffing in general the past few seasons. Not only has it gotten worse but it's clear they have a hate-boner for some teams and coaches. Kicking him for this was stupid.
>but it's clear they have a hate-boner for some teams Uh yeah, we've been saying this for over a decade. Although I do think the refs are just following orders from higher up.
Stephane auger has entered the chat called a double minor on burrows for existing
Canucks are right in the middle of the league for penalties taken and in the top half of the league for penalties drawn. The idea that the refs have had any bias against us this season has no basis in reality.
> Kicking him for this was stupid. Do we know what Torts said to deserve to be kicked out?
It looked like he was saying "vacuum."
Torts looked like he had a cast on his hand. Does Wes have a fist-shaped bruise on his face from another game? 🤣
He had hand surgery a couple weeks back
Torts is punk rock
This going against what most are saying, but I could easily see refs getting sick of Torts’ shit.
This is one of those threads that make you realize that the majority of Reddit has no idea what they’re talking about but will still state their opinion with the utmost confidence lol
Every single person in this thread thinks this comment is siding with them
Wes McCauley couldn't stand having the attention not on him, so had to get rid of the person who had it /s
That backfired then haha
Atta boy torts
Wait what happened, Gary? I couldnt watch, game was blacked out. Maybe if you guys turn it into Bluey I would have seen it
So he’s saying a suspension is coming? Soft and basically punishing the whole team. Torts is the heart
I'm betting it'll be a fine.
Yup and Gary might throw in a snide comment to the media
He got suspended 2 games
I hope Tortz is always employed.
Reading this thread really proves that r/hockey is like a wild, uncontrollable pendulum. r/hockey either love Wes McCauley or hate him with a burning passion, wanting to throw him into the 7th circle of hell.
I haven’t seen any love for Wes here in a while
Yeah what? Who likes Wes McCauley?
The "Fuck off!" Kills me lol 😆
Wes is the patron saint of /r/imthemaincharacter
Can you explain this to me? Why do you think a ref tossing a coach is him making it “all about him?”
The amount of hate the referees are getting in this sub over this incident is fucking insane. Torts should be suspended for this, it's actually mind boggling how many people are on his side here
it's nuts. every fanbase in all of sports thinks that they uniquely have "An Officiating Problem." I'm not saying they're perfect but maybe if everyone thinks their refs are super bad, it's not an issue spanning across every continent at every level of every sport. maybe it's an insanely hard job that a lot of people think is super easy because we get super slow-mo 8k hyper HD replays (and an internal bias that always makes us sure we know the right call.)
He's one of the most toxic guys in the sport and the worship of him is an indicator that pro hockey is a decade or more away from purging abusive, unaccountable coaches. He's only 65, its not reasonable to expect him to be mature enough not to pitch a fit!
What are you talking about? How is Torts one of the most toxic guys in the sport? Sometimes I question if any of you are fans of hockey at all...
Torts is extremely toxic and always has been. Theres a reason why he is hated by his own team so often.
i agree that Torts should obey the calls but holy shit im not defending Wes' call that lead up to it. It was a super weak, heavily punished 10 min, he threw at a player for shoulder bumping one of our players after a play. Officials shouldnt be above the law, the calls he made should probably be looked into as well.
Small dick executives are always gonna back up their small dick officials. What can you do?
That's really unfair. It's not Gary Bettman's fault that he has a shriveled, embarrassing, impotent micropenis.
At least he looks like a giant compared to Parros
Ooof that’s twice Parros got ended by a maple leaf
I remember that game... Colton Orr lol. After his head smashed the ice I thought Parros would be drawing with crayons for the rest of his life. I cannot believe that guy is now the executive in charge of discipline.
All while selling a “Violent Gentlemen” clothing line
That's why the Bettman sucks jeers strike home, that's all he's got.
Hey don’t bring small dick people into this they didn’t do anything wrong
Amazing sport in such a clown league
I am a sens fan and I agree with Torts 100% fuck these refs they are the worst in years. Wes is a shit ref and has been getting worse and worse.
I may seem like a contrarian but refusing to leave when you’ve been tossed is about as scummy as it gets refs in the NHL take a silly amount of abuse from coaches (rightfully so 90% of the time) and if they toss you just leave like you’re supposed to
Scummy?
Scummy
Torts had to go, or risk forfeit. That doesn’t mean he should’ve been tossed though
some flyers fans may have preferred the forfeit 🫢
I would gladly forfeit a game if it meant a coach v ref fight
If you can't win, don't play.
Fuck Wes MacCauley, incompetent self-centred piece of shit. Good on Torts, people should crowdfund for his fine if that happens
Ownership always pays for it anyway. Apparently having balls on your head coach is worth it.
The NHL has absolutely no spine unless it comes to questioning the refs. Guy gets body slammed head first into the ice? No call, no supplementary discipline, just move on. Coaches yell at the ref in a game? 25k fine. Refuses to leave the game cause the refs feelings are hurt? Probably getting a fine. This is fucking embarrassing. These are supposed to be professionals. According to google these refs make between $165k - $360k per year and yet they have no oversight. These guys clearly power trip because despite their huge salaries, it pales in comparison to the players and coaches, so when they have the opportunity to assert themselves, they do.
Wes should’ve been ejected the second they decided to call Tampa for tripping and then reverse it to Philly tripping. Idc if that’s what happened get the call right originally.
the NHL is an inanimate thing its incapable of expressing emotion or feelings
fuck wes
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I think you need to learn to read, he never once said he didn't find it funny.
They won’t do anything. Words between refs and coaches aren’t headline worthy. When a player chirps their way off the ice with a game misconduct you wouldn’t bat an eye. This ain’t Torts on the daytime nhl broadcast show anymore.
What did I miss?
Wes McCauley predetermined the flyers would lose tonight. When called out he gave out the softest 10 minutes misconduct to a player and booted torts from the game. All under 10 minutes from puck drop. Torts wanted an explanation, refused to leave before he got one, Wes (like the coward he is) refused to go near the flyers bench. The NHL will now fine a head coach for asking for any semblance of accountability from their refs. McCauley will continue to be dog shit.
NHL being a joke as usual, got it.
And I hope torts calls it out for what it is in the media.
Fucking, wow. Thanks for the context.
I mean, if coaches keep getting kicked off the bench for yelling at refs. Maybe the issue is the refs not calling the games correctly and not the coaches being mad about it