After futher review the refs still suck.

Yesterday I wrote a column for the Illegal Curve on how the officiating in the WCHA is sub par and needed to be changed starting with the leadership at the top by failing to renew their contracts when they come up for renewal. I also said that the officials in the WCHA lacked credibility and the rest of college hockey; including the fans, media pundits and other leagues look at the WCHA leadership as being joke. In the last INCH pod cast the guys from INCH in a nut shell basically said that the WCHA league officials were a joke in the way they handled the Genoway hit.[Click to listen] I hate to say it, but I agree with the guys from INCH.

Travesty in Denver

Last night was one of the most one sided officiating jobs that I have seen in my 17-18 years of watching college hockey. Let it be known that I have watched some bad officiating jobs over those years, but this one stuck out more than others. The WCHA should review the performance of Brian Thul, Scott Bokal these two officials are a joke and don’t belong calling hockey games anymore, if you can’t call the game fairly both ways than you shouldn’t be allowed to call a game. There were many instances where the DU player would obstruct, hook, hold or slash a UND player yet there would be no call from the ref and then the refs would turn around and call UND for another penalty. UND had to kill off six straight penalties in the second period. That is an utter joke. It was like the decision had been made UND wasn't going to win this game.

On the ruling of no goal; this is one instance where the refs actually made the right call for once. Color me surprised. When the officials go to review a goal on the video as a fan you have no clue how the refs are going to rule because they are so inconsistent in their rulings. Each ruling is an adventure. Unfortunately, this ruling probably cost UND a point in the standings, but I am alright with that because they mad the right decision for once.

Look at the video that is included at the top of the page its clear that Sioux forward Brad Malone clearly made a distinct kicking motion at the puck with his skate. So in reality the refs got two thirds of their goal reviews wrong this past weekend, I guess you can’t be wrong all of the time, right. Even the homer DU radio announcers said that the refs blew the two goal reviews from Friday night, one goal that should have probably counted for the DU goal and another goal that should have counted for UND. I guess you could call it a wash but if UND’s goal counts it may have changed the complexity of the game a bit.

The league needs to have a cognitive approach to reviewing the goals because right now the refs are not doing a very good job reviewing the goals. There is no rhyme or reason to their rulings on questionable goals. Of course the league commissioner and the head of WCHA officials are oblivious and walk around acting if nothing is wrong with the officiating in the WCHA. In the minds of the WCHA leadership the officials are doing a great job in their mind the league has five teams within a couple points of each other in the standings, all for the sake of parity.

Last night the game started out well for UND the Fighting Sioux got two power play goals in the first period and were playing well. The game was tame and not a lot of after the whistle b.s. then Denver University coach George Gwozdecky stepped into his office and decided that he had seen enough of this and did his patented work over the refs routine. It was typical Gwoz he called the ref over to the DU players bench and complain to the refs about the calls on the ice. I mean how dare UND get a lead on his team. As a Sioux fan you know what is coming next, you know that UND is about to get homered in Denver. The next penalty or two is coming UND’s way. Sure enough UND had to kill off six straight penalties and gave up three goals.

Coach Hakstol is unimpressed with the refs

Check out Coah Hakstol post game comments with Tim Hennessey after the game. [Click to listen] This is the most upset that I can ever remember Dave Hakstol being in a post game interview. Check out what he has to say.

Check out a few of the comments by Coach Dave Hakstol. The team took a few of the undisciplined penalties that went over the deep end. There were also a few calls that were junk. The pros on ice (the officials)didn't do a very good job. The league commissioner was in attendance and maybe we will have a talk with him, or maybe not.

McLeod is a joke

Last night between the second and third period WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was on the radio last night with Tim O'Keefe and the league commissioner basically said you have to kill a commit an act of murder to get more than a one game suspension. In other words get a 2 game suspension from the league you have to do something that is really egregious, apparently the check on Chay Genoway didn’t cross that threshold of being grotesque enough to warrant an extra game. You can bet if that person that committed the act had been wearing purple or green uniform they would have had the book thrown at them. Just ask Mankato coach Troy Jutting.

Tim O’Keefe also asked McLeod if he understood how fans would be upset with the fact that Chay Genoway is sitting at home while Aaron Marvin gets to play this weekend. The buffoon’s response was something like this aw shucks we make stuff as we go along and mentioned Nick Leddy’s dad being upset about the hit on his kid. Apparently the WCHA commissioner has no ability to feel empathy for anyone. I was ready to take my computer and throw it across the room.

Lastly, Tim O’Keefe also brought up how George Gwozdecky walked out on to the ice at the end of the period. Again the commissioner said something to the affect of ah shucks we reviewed the tape and had a talk with George said that he shouldn’t be out on the ice. How about a sanction? I wonder if this discussion was over their morning coffee together at Denver University.

I know that some are going to sound like conspiracy theory stuff but the league office is at Denver University and I can see how fans might question this and how this appears to others in the WCHA. Seriously, you had the two controversial goals that DU benefited from two seasons ago and then you have this debacle.