I think Rocky needs to start showing his face to the media - showing them the extreme bias of the refs against his team. And then force Bettman to either stand up for the team or the refs.
- powerenforcer

https://thehockeywriters....ets-a-20-game-suspension/

36 years ago and the Hawks are still paying the price.

The problem is that same play happened 50 plus times in the first 2.5 periods and it wasn’t called. Official decides to even up the penalties in the third. Kane gets slashed and hooked every time he has the puck on his stick. Watch him cycle through the top of the zone dangling and I guarantee you there will be a guy on his hip chopping lumber.

I don’t like Toews whining but it’s a legit beef. If you’re gonna call it tight then call it tight the entire game. Don’t decide to change how the games going to be called in the third.

Toews had a legit beef about Kane and Dach getting dumped away from the puck too. Kane was lit up in the ozone in the third and he never even possessed the puck. He was just near the board battle. Dach was also hit from behind and sent face first into the boards.

NHL officiating continues to be a joke.
- bhawks2241

Try watching NFL refereeing....ouch...
NHL refs are not near as bad...

Maybe the bigger deal involves Seabrook, and he's there looking at sweeteners.
- mohel

Oh...stop teasing....you probably gave half the Hawk fan-base a woody with a comment like that!!!

Maybe the bigger deal involves Seabrook, and he's there looking at sweeteners.
- mohel

Seabrook for Weber straight up? Lol who says no first?

The refs aren't biased against the Hawks. C'mon.

The refs have been calling a penalty when the stick hits the hands a lot tighter for a couple years now. That's what Toews did - twice. He can whine all he wants - and he does - but those were penalties based on the way the game is being officiated now. The fact that Toews looks up at the screen and sees the replay and still does his WTF palms up routine just shows him to be an idiot.
- EbonyRaptor

The only time i felt as though the refs were biased was the last Kings game. Personally i hate when players argue with the refs, 1 there's no point to it, 2 you make yourself a target. If Toews didn't take it personally and show up the ref there's probably a good chance the 2nd slashing isn't called.

Seabrook for Weber straight up? Lol who says no first?
- Assman22

If it's Bergevin poop we ain't giving anything away so it's probably an AHL player for AHL player

I think Rocky needs to start showing his face to the media - showing them the extreme bias of the refs against his team. And then force Bettman to either stand up for the team or the refs.
- powerenforcer

As a ref there is no bias against any team. Words that have never been spoke in a ref room "which team can we screw today" like give me a break.

Maybe this is pure speculation on my part but Toews has taken way to many penalties this year and its becoming noticeable in plenty of the columns recently written. Maybe the refs are getting tired of his chirping and some calls are right others bad or missed, but if toews would do less chirping and be more aware of his play he wouldn't find himself benched in the penalty box and if he starts producing it will make it a lot harder for the nhl as a whole to penalize a special player.

Remember back in 2010 Chicago's cup run and Seabrook had to have a conversation to refocus toews ?

Maybe it's time for another heart to heart conversation.
- Taylorst1

It was 2013 against the Wings.

The only time i felt as though the refs were biased was the last Kings game. Personally i hate when players argue with the refs, 1 there's no point to it, 2 you make yourself a target. If Toews didn't take it personally and show up the ref there's probably a good chance the 2nd slashing isn't called.
- BetweenTheDots

i think you correct that was a very weak call...but again as has been pointed out...stick near the hand or hip gets you 2 minutes 9 out 10 times now.

where as a crosscheck to the back or punch to the face post whistle is condsidered fair game...go figure thats the nhl today

Just want to point out, 2 really solid games by 7 after sitting. Good for him and glad.
- BetweenTheDots

Yep, great to see. An all-time favorite of mine.

Try watching NFL refereeing....ouch...
NHL refs are not near as bad...
- hawk35

NHL refs are horrible. They decided when and when to not call certain infractions. There is no consistency. They single handled the dictate how a game is going to be played.

NFL officials aren’t as bad given the rules now are a compete joke.

Oh...stop teasing....you probably gave half the Hawk fan-base a woody with a comment like that!!!
- hawk35

We all have our roles, 35.

The only time i felt as though the refs were biased was the last Kings game. Personally i hate when players argue with the refs, 1 there's no point to it, 2 you make yourself a target. If Toews didn't take it personally and show up the ref there's probably a good chance the 2nd slashing isn't called.
- BetweenTheDots

I thinkmyou said it best , toews is letting his emotions get in the way and cloud his judgement. It's one thing to try and make your case but another to just piss off the refs.

If the calls are that awful or biased let the coach speak up and or Rocky should pick up the phone and call bettman out.


Right now toews has 5 points in 12 games ? While he is a minus 2 he is at a 52% on FO and 12 penalty minutes

Seabrook for Weber straight up? Lol who says no first?
- Assman22

The Hawks. Quickly.

If it's Bergevin poop we ain't giving anything away so it's probably an AHL player for AHL player
- BetweenTheDots

Even as a huge Beaudin fan, I’d be ok with Beaudin for Poehling

Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder even asked about it, why do the refs always seem to call things tighter on the Chicago team than any other team?

If you don't ask the same question, then shame on you, you are buying into a phony rigged up league.
- powerenforcer

This season:

PIM per game - Hawks are 23th in the league with 7:04
Penalties - 25th in league with 257
Minors - 22nd in league with 45
Majors - -0- through 13 games

Last season:

PIM per game - 26th at 7:19
Penalties - 28th with 257
Minors - 29th with 228
Majors - 20th with 14

PP Opps (an inexact measure of penalties drawn):

Last season

PP Opportunities - 14th with 238
At home - 9th with 130
Road - 22nd with 108

I guess you can spin those numbers to show bias against the Hawks somehow - or ignore them and come up with some other criteria - but being in the bottom 6th of the league in penalties taken certainly doesn't suggest to me that the refs are out to get them.

I'm not saying he is above criticism, but I think a lot of the complaints about Toews and the refs is misguided. I've watched a number of other teams play in the last three weeks and literally every team has a guy that yells at the refs (not always the captain).

The Hawks are not playing all that well, and he hears about it after every game, and has to try and find a new explanation. If he doesn't give any reasons for the poor play, he is "disconnected and doesn't care". If he does give reasons for the poor play, he is "making excuses".

Add all that up with the fact that he is not producing and frustrated with his own play, and I can easily see how he would be mad at a lot of things during the game. Should he back off the refs? Probably. Whether intentional or not, at some point the refs probably would be more critical of his play if he continues. But, he is not really doing anything different than all the other teams.

As a ref there is no bias against any team. Words that have never been spoke in a ref room "which team can we screw today" like give me a break.
- SaskHawkFan

How can you even say that, when everyone knows that penalties are always called to "even" the stats. Therefore, there is a bias to it.

NHL refs are horrible. They decided when and when to not call certain infractions. There is no consistency. They single handled the dictate how a game is going to be played.

NFL officials aren’t as bad given the rules now are a compete joke.
- bhawks2241

The thing about the refs I hate is the internal clock they have. If they give 2 penalties in a row to one team within a short span of time, especially if it causes a 5 on 3, you know who the next penalty is going to be against, no matter what happens on the ice.

Also the goalie interference rule and how it is inconsistently applied is a joke.

Actually if you wanted more offense on the third line, and I know in advance people will same I crazy, you could go Sikura, Dach, Kubalik. Sikura and Kubalik are decent 200' players. Drop Kampf down to the 4th line with some combination of Caggiula, Shaw, and Carpenter.

I think Smith actually has been ok in his limited playing time. But just from a sheer numbers standpoint he has to go. Too many forwards, blocking Sikura or other Icehog forwards from coming up. If Bowman could move Smith it would help the numbers and the cap, even if there is a "future considerations" return.
- -Doh-

I was trying to figure out if the Hawks called up Dylan where he could fit into this lineup, and they only way that will work is if the bumped Kampf down to the 4th line with Shaw, Carpenter, and Caggiula. Which, if those guys are fighting for the bottom three spots then that means the rest of the guys are playing as good as they should be and you have a very deep forward group.

Hopefully JC keeps the guys together over the next few games to continue to build some chemistry.

Seabrook for Weber straight up? Lol who says no first?
- Assman22

I would think Montreal. Weber is now being payed way less than his cap hit. If he retires, Montreal is only on the hook for about $700K a year, Nashville is still on the hook for the rest.

Seabrook for Weber straight up? Lol who says no first?
- Assman22

I would think Montreal. Weber is now being payed way less than his cap hit. If he retires, Montreal is only on the hook for about $700K a year, Nashville is still on the hook for the rest.

I would think Montreal. Weber is now being payed way less than his cap hit. If he retires, Montreal is only on the hook for about $700K a year, Nashville is still on the hook for the rest.
- LAHawk

Weber's cap hit is $7.86 for six more years after this one. He is currently 34, so the cap hit stays until he's 40.

Seabrook has a cap hit of $6.88 for four more years after this one. He is also 34, so the cap hit stays until he's 38.

So, 1st four years, cap hit is a million higher. Then two more years at $7.88.

Weber's contract does only pay $1M the last three years, so he could retire. But that's a huge gamble. His buyout doesn't look any better than Seabrook's.

Where did you see Bergevin was at the Hogs game to see Beaudin?
- EbonyRaptor

Duh. Who else would he be looking at? He’s the only Hawk prospect with a French name.

It’s so obvious.

Weber's cap hit is $7.86 for six more years after this one. He is currently 34, so the cap hit stays until he's 40.

Seabrook has a cap hit of $6.88 for four more years after this one. He is also 34, so the cap hit stays until he's 38.

So, 1st four years, cap hit is a million higher. Then two more years at $7.88.

Weber's contract does only pay $1M the last three years, so he could retire. But that's a huge gamble. His buyout doesn't look any better than Seabrook's.
- mohel

But Weber signed a Hossa type contract, so the cap hit would go back to Nashville if Weber retired early (except for the actual $'ss paid which goes to Montreal).