Over the years, I have often heard commentators, fans and even some bosses say that it's important for officials to "manage" the game. I beg to differ. Officials shouldn't manage the game. They should simply officiate ot. If I wanted to hire managers, I'd hang a sign that said "Managers Wanted, Inquire Within. Must Have Skates."
Managers, well, manage. They compromise. They worry about the appearance of balancing the scales. Often, they wind up splitting the baby in half like the Biblical judgment by King Solomon; except that they actually go through with it to negative consequences rather than employing psychology to arrive at a correct and just decision in tough situations.
"Game management," in my opinion, is a politically correct euphemism for officiating out of fear. It's a wide open door to over-officiated or under-officiated games with no flow, no hockey sense and no common sense.
In an over-officiated game, the arm goes up for every little love tap and every time a player gets felled by a clean body check in open ice or that rattles the boards. There are more "reputation" calls than there ought to be. The R2 referee (the one behind the play) might make a delayed call on something that was in direct sight of the R1 referee who was right on top of the play and elected to let play continue. A linesman might be too quick to toss someone out of the faceoff circle for the slightest infraction by a teammate on the ice.
In an under-officiated game, the officials risk losing control because players and coaches catch on quickly that they can get away with just about whatever they please. There's more and more clutching and grabbing. Stickwork increases behind the play. So do the cheapshots after the whistles.
From a linesman standpoint, icing gets called, rather than being waved off, when the very same defenseman who just closed a 10-foot gap on a rush two minutes earlier suddenly starts moving like a giant tortoise while a puck he would otherwise have a chance to play creeps toward the icing line. The same linesman may spend 15 or more seconds trying to get everyone lined up properly in the faceoff circle rather than dumping someone.
Either which way, this sort of "management" on the ice is bad for the game. In order to survive in this game, an official MUST learn how to make calls without fear. The official can't be afraid of the crowd, the coaches who are trying to get any advantage or players yelling at them for "screwing" their team because the previous two calls have also gone against their side. Likewise, they can't operate in fear of what their supervisors might think if they exercise their judgment and make a controversial call.
Ultimately, those who officiate out of fear end up cheating the game. The flow and quality of play go down the tubes when there are too many unnecessary whistles and endless special teams play at one extreme or lots of diving and obstruction at the other extreme. Both over-officiating and under-officiating create more diving, because the diver is more likely to draw a phantom penalty in an over-officiated game and, in an under-officiated game, either is trying to embarrass the official (and embarrassing himself, too, I might add) or figures the worst thing that can happen is offsetting minors rather then being sent off alone.
Get the picture? Those who officiate by fear get exploited rather than commanding respect. The reality of hockey is that is a game that is driven as much by human emotion as it is by the letter of the law. What's more. players and coaches are smart enough to detect a fearful official right away. They adjust fast.
Maybe you liked the way I refereed games during my active officiating career. Maybe you didn't. But one thing you have to concede either way is that I was someone who refereed with no trepidation whatsoever. I had confidence in my judgement and hockey sense, confidence in the skills of my officiating teammates and no fear of what players, coaches, fans, the media or league supervisors thought about my methods.
I was someone who was NEVER afraid to make the tough call. I also officiated the same way in the third period that I did in the first.
I feel the same way nowadays when it comes to hiring and assigning people: I want officials, not game managers. I want referees and linesmen who make decisive black-and-white rulings even when there is a lot of gray area in a tough situation. I want tough-minded arbiters who are quick on their feet and quick with their minds while showing calm under pressure.
The game also needs officials who can keep up with the physical rigors of the sport. Time waits for nobody. I dealt with it late in my own active officiating career. My body was breaking down on me and I had to be honest with myself that I could no longer keep up the way I used to. My mind was still sharp. The instincts and hockey sense were still there. But the ol' hips didn't lie and I needed to listen to my body.
Time marches on: it's as simple and inevitable as that. To those that have served as officials in the past, I sincerely thank you for your service. However, just like an older veteran player who may no longer be able to sustain the pacing of the game, an official's physical ability deteriorates over time.
If I (or another assignor) has told you we don't have assignments for you, don't take it personally or as a sign that your past work is not appreciated. As I wrote, time waits for no man. I dealt with it and so will you.
Ultimately, I have to make decisions based on the needs of the game using my experience in judging an official's ability to do the job. The physical, mental and decision-making demands are very, very high in this profession. That's why not many folks can do it and why even veterans can't take these abilities for granted.
If you aren't with us, then the decision has been made. It's not a pleasant part of my job. However, just like when I used to have to make tough calls on the ice and deal with the fallout, I am being paid to make decisions and judge. It's not personal. It's hockey.
************************************************************************ Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) at both the Division 1 and Division 3 levels.
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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