Paul Stewart: The Stew: Indecision and Marble-Counting

Thanks Paul for that insight into officiating. I must say that even as one who has never officiated anything it is painfully obvious that there are many ill equipped unseasoned officials in the NHL. I feel for them, because that is a very difficult job and I wonder how much more stressed they are being in this position without the adequate experience and training. Situations like that only cause you to burn out quickly and lose your love for what you are doing. I really hope this is being addressed behind closed doors.

Paul, what is your take on the apparent "difference" in the way the game is called between the regular season and the playoffs? I have officiated other sports and I can acknowledge the pressure you refer to is very real. We have to put it behind us--and sometimes that is easier said than done. It becomes easier with experience. I have worked hundreds if not thousands of soccer and basketball games at various levels from youth all the way up through NCAA. And Each sport has its own set of pressures. I try my best to officiate the same way in both regular season and post-season. But there have been times when supervisors have indicated they wanted certain things emphasized or de-emphasized during a given post season tournament.
As a fan, I find it frustrating to see certain infractions called in say January and then not called in May. I say this as a fan of hockey, not just my own team--which bowed out because of poor goaltending, not bad officiating...