First Go At Hockey Photography

Family from Manituwadge were in Thunder Bay for the annual Robin's Hockey Tournament.  I'm always looking for opportunities to shoot.  These turned out pretty good!  Room for improvement always but this was a good start.

  

  

  

 

ROBOTS vs HUMAN NHL REFEREES

NHL Referee Huddle

Based on the most recent discussion on the SteveDanglePodcast and the debate over off side calls and robots….

I think you have to first decide FIRST which interest is more important:

1.      Fans / Entertainment
         -or-

2.      Teams/Coaches/Players

-Fans WANT to be entertained.  Teams NEED to win.-

When you state that Sports is ENTERTAINMENT that may be true – but it’s jobs and money for Teams/Coaches/Players.

So the way I see it – Video Replay is solely for Teams. They will exploit anything and everything if it means winning at the end of the day.  Teams are eliminated from playoffs based on one game.   That will cost a team Millions of extra dollars if they miss out.

If TEAMS is the primary interest – then I agree with Jesse – ROBOTS. 

However the opposite is true if the FANS are the primary interest.

Eliminate Video Replay.  Even goal line reviews.  All of it.  How many times has a missed call been complained about by the coach to a ref and the ref than makes up with it by calling something against the other team?  How many times have we heard how vital the Refs position to influence the game is?

The down side to this is if referees become compromised the same way FIFA has a problem with its refs and bribing.  Just look here at this 'influencing' scandal:  Footballs biggest fixing scandals Liverpool Juventus Manchester

So – one or the other.  This Hybrid isn’t working.

Today I Learned Jack Adams was from Thunder Bay

I was watching the Winter Classic over the Holiday.  During the pre-amble Don Maclean mentioned Jack Adams, Toronto Maple Leafs and Thunder Bay in the same sentence.

I was born and raised in Thunder Bay. Played minor hockey in Thunder Bay. Seen the Stanley Cup visit here numerous times thanks to the Staals, and Patrick Sharp.

Thunder Bay has a pretty good hockey factory. 

But not until the other day did I learn of Jack Adams and his roots.   It was one line - but enough for me to be dumbfounded?  How did I not know of this?   "...when Jack Adams from Thunder Bay went to the Toronto Maple Leafs..."

He played for Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and won 2 Stanley Cups. 

He coached the Red Wings to 3 Stanley Cups and still holds the most wins as coach to this date.

The Jack Adams award in his honor is awarded to the most valuable coach in the NHL.

A mistake I made was thinking the "Adams" division was in his honor as well.  It is not.  Charles Adams is who the division was named after.

Sources:
Wikipedia

Tbnewswatch

Dear NHL, 2 On Ice Referees Isn't Working

Too many referees on the ice still making bad calls.

Dear NHL,
I'm writing this letter in response to some of the questionable calls and non calls your referees made and did not make.

Please take the 2nd official off the ice and put him behind a tv so he can watch the same game the rest of us are watching.  Equip him with a headset and microphone.  Give the other ref the other headset.  No one else needs to hear what they're saying.  The 'tv ref' can than assist the on ice ref by telling him what's 'really' happening.

Examples are and not limited to:

"The puck is still clear.  The puck is in the net. A player behind you that you don't see just speared another player and the other player is now chasing him down.  There was no goalie contact.  There was goalie contact.  There was goalie contact but its not his fault - the dman cross checked him into the goalie.  That wasn't tripping.  That's a dive."  Etc Etc Etc.

This would easily clear up the animosity of fans vs refs.  If coaching staff are connected to assistants up in the box seats with headsets why can't the refs be?  I'm optimistic that the refs could get up to speed within a week.  Sure you'll need to make some rules and adjustments.

We take "TV Timeouts" for commercials on Tv, i don't think taking 30 seconds to review a play isn't too much to ask if its going to make and break the game.

Please get with the times.

Thank you.