Paul Stewart: Elementary, My Dear Prustie

Really good article. prust is an a$$hole. Completely inappropriate the way he acted on AND off the ice.

Excellent Blog.

Best one I've read in a long time.

I'm really confused about the way referees are supposed to act? I though they needed to be the bigger men in every situations; never express any grudges; start every game with an impartial mentality for every player. It doesn't seem to be the case at all. Especially when I hear that the referees are a close group that talks to each others and retaliate when time comes. Please, tell me that's not how it works.

Oh ffs....

Oh ffs....
- Iggysbff

What's wrong with Walt?

Refs should just be robots on the ice to make the right call. Listening to you romanticize about refing as if its actually part of the game makes me sick. If the technology were there I would prefer a computer chip to replace all you. The weather man has a better track record of being right.

What's wrong with Walt?
- Byfuglien Ate Me

Quote function didn't work. It was supposed to quote the Habs fan whining about impartial refs...

Refs should just be robots on the ice to make the right call. Listening to you romanticize about refing as if its actually part of the game makes me sick. If the technology were there I would prefer a computer chip to replace all you. The weather man has a better track record of being right.
- Grinder47

You have got to be kidding me. So create a robot that calls the rules strictly by the book and see what happens to the game. Everything is black and white. You will see marathon 6 hour games with whistles every 10 seconds. You're spoken like someone that never played the game and sure as hell never put on the stripes.

Always a great take from a 'ref's' point of view.

Through all this, little has been mentioned that the ref asked Prust "what did you say" and I am sure Prust said something complimentary like "you look good in stripes" NOT!

It is the playoffs. It is tense. The Habs were getting their butts kicked and Prust was extremely frustrated at many things.
Prust crossed the line by talking to the press.

The coach should sit his rear down for the next game and he should come back and play hockey, not play stupid.

All I see here is retired Union man blindly siding with a current Union man. To outright dismiss the fact that Watson played any role in this is beyond transparent here. As a Habs fan I can admit that Prust made a fool of himself and had what was coming. But to dismiss Watson from any wrongdoing just because you know him to be a good guy? I promise you Paul that you can find plenty of people to vouge for Prust's character. Doesn't mean he can do no wrong.

All I see here is retired Union man blindly siding with a current Union man. To outright dismiss the fact that Watson played any role in this is beyond transparent here. As a Habs fan I can admit that Prust made a fool of himself and had what was coming. But to dismiss Watson from any wrongdoing just because you know him to be a good guy? I promise you Paul that you can find plenty of people to vouge for Prust's character. Doesn't mean he can do no wrong.
- DoubleDown

Show me where he dismissed Watson from any wrong doing? Pretty sure there were maybe he did maybe he didn't lines. Maybe you should re read what Paul wrote.

I am not surprised that this is coming from a Habs fan. Prust acted like a fool the entire game, and cried like a little baby because he got yelled at by the big bad ref. Give me a break.

You have got to be kidding me. So create a robot that calls the rules strictly by the book and see what happens to the game. Everything is black and white. You will see marathon 6 hour games with whistles every 10 seconds. You're spoken like someone that never played the game and sure as hell never put on the stripes.
- Stripes77

Been playing for 20 some years now. Never had any interest of being a ref. I do remember after the lockout when the refs were actually calling penalties, and then 3 yrs later when the players had adjusted and hockey was so fast and skilled.

Been playing for 20 some years now. Never had any interest of being a ref. I do remember after the lockout when the refs were actually calling penalties, and then 3 yrs later when the players had adjusted and hockey was so fast and skilled.
- Grinder47

You mean when the NHL GM's wanted them to call less penalties?

Yeah it's called a standard of play initiative that happens at the beginning of every season. The NHL GM's wanted the penalty calls tweaked. So this is the product we get not because of the refs. Nice try though.

Paul, I appologize but this article is no where near as important as the one Brian Wilde wrote.

Not in any professional sport is the refereeing so inconsistent from period to period, from game to game, and from official to official and worst of all from player to player.

I like how you took a shot at the more expose written article from a professional who isn't paid by the NHL by mocking his title.

Always a great take from a 'ref's' point of view.

Through all this, little has been mentioned that the ref asked Prust "what did you say" and I am sure Prust said something complimentary like "you look good in stripes" NOT!

It is the playoffs. It is tense. The Habs were getting their butts kicked and Prust was extremely frustrated at many things.
Prust crossed the line by talking to the press.

The coach should sit his rear down for the next game and he should come back and play hockey, not play stupid.
- Monitor1

At the time of the altercation it was 1-0 Montreal. That was a huge momentum shift included the soft call on Subban as soon as the 4 min double minor was served.

I have a problem as a fan with the way the league operates. It is bush league. It is a part of the understanding too as Coburn had this to say after the game:

"I know in the past (with) referees, they give you a stern warning and it's usually in your and your team's advantage to listen to them because obviously they control the game out there in terms of calling penalties," Coburn said.

Kind of goes hand in hand with the idea that the ref may take the game into their hands no? Play God? Meh

The real problem is how Prust played after this altercation. Running Bishop and throwing his elbow pad into the tbay bench was bush league.

Watson is the only referee I can even name because every time I see him you can count on a game that is one period of nothing being called then a march to penalty box. I don't think there is another ref in the NHL who wants to be the star of the show more than Watson. I am dumb founded that he make the cup finals every year. I think that is a reflection of the over all poor quality of the current staff cause by moving the the two ref system and the loss of so many veteran guys.

Watson is the only referee I can even name because every time I see him you can count on a game that is one period of nothing being called then a march to penalty box. I don't think there is another ref in the NHL who wants to be the star of the show more than Watson. I am dumb founded that he make the cup finals every year. I think that is a reflection of the over all poor quality of the current staff cause by moving the the two ref system and the loss of so many veteran guys.
- vols94

That's funny cause when it comes to calling penalties and the number of them he is in the middle of the pack of all the full time NHL refs. I think to should double check your stats.

That's funny cause when it comes to calling penalties and the number of them he is in the middle of the pack of all the full time NHL refs. I think to should double check your stats.
- Stripes77

Can you link that list please?

http://scoutingtherefs.com/nhl-referee-stats/



Hard one.. just had to type Nhl referee stats into the google. came right up....

Refs have an obligation to be unbaiased. This article seems to confuse that with an idea that refs should be on a holier than thou crusade and should be able to cuss players out whenever they feel slightly provoked. If this is the attitude of Watson or any other current ref then they should be fired on the spot.

It's still unclear whether Watson actually said anything untoward, but I find every comment about Prust deserving it to be absolutely ridiculous. Who the player is doesn't matter. If you're a ref and a player mouths off at you, you give them an appropriate penalty and don't sink down to the player's level. Regardless of what is said the ref needs to take the high road. Otherwise, every decision the ref makes in that game (or even any time he/she refs that specific team) is suspect. People are laughing it off because of it being Prust, but this is a serious allegation with extremely serious ramifications if it is true - for instance, how does the NHL allow a game to be upheld when the referee is found to be suspect and untrustworthy or how can the league avoid suspicion that every Montreal game that Prust plays in from now on isn't being gamed by the refs. Don't sweep it under the rug like Paul "Refs Are A Law Unto Themselves" Stewart.

Tell you a little story: one time I refereed a Chicago Blackhawks game where Denis Savard ripped me up one side and down the other. I didn't toss him. I simply told, "Have a good night, Denis" because I knew something he didn't know. Due to a scheduling change, I would also be refereeing the Blackhawks' game the next night.

I could hardly wait to see the look on Savard's face during the warmup. As soon as he saw me, he made a beeline for me and started hollering at me again.

I went over to the Chicago bench and told them we had a problem. Savard was going to receive 12 minutes worth of penalties to start the game and the Blackhawks were going to start the game shorthanded as a result. Yes, at the 0:00 mark of the first period -- just as there are penalties that can be applied after the final buzzer -- Savard got a two and a 10.

He still didn't get the message. As he exited the box at the first stoppage after the 12-minute mark of the first period, he started right after me again. So I informed him he was sitting for another 12. That's 24 minutes of penalties to one of the Hawks' key players without skating a single shift -- and even the Chicago guys knew Savard was in the wrong here. Everyone but Denis himself.

So you waited and made sure you were ready to bend him over?

So refs do have vendettas and skew the results of a professional sporting event based on their own egos?

Prust is clearly challenged in his ability to sequence. His fictional narrative was all over the place. It was like listening to a 5 year old tattling about the bully on the playground.
- Tangled

I hope for Prust's sake that he didn't lie. Otherwise he will look all kinds of stupid.

But the fact is that refs aren't being objective on the ice. That is a problem at the professional level. The refs need to use their eyes not their personal opinions and emotions to make the calls.

Following a player to the box and pointing your finger at him is teeing him up.

Most grown men don't appreciate being pointed at. Watson had no business doing that, and even more importantly should have skated away and let Prust cool down for 2 mins. If Prust came out yapping give him the two. Don't antagonize him and give him an extra 2 as soon as he chirps back

Worst part of all this is it is a deflection of the habs overall bad play. The powerplay is shooting so low it is pathetic and the PK last night was 50%. Brutal. That should be what reporters talk about when it comes to this series.

Instead Dregger admits that the officials will have Prust's name in their black books now. No objectivity

That's funny cause when it comes to calling penalties and the number of them he is in the middle of the pack of all the full time NHL refs. I think to should double check your stats.

He said nothing would be called in the first and then everything in the second and beyond - that would lead to a referree being in the middle of the pack...

Either way a ref has to be impartial and it doesnt sound like he acted very impartial lol - he really should not ref anymore of that series.

He said nothing would be called in the first and then everything in the second and beyond - that would lead to a referree being in the middle of the pack...

Either way a ref has to be impartial and it doesnt sound like he acted very impartial lol - he really should not ref anymore of that series.
- DirtyDozen

Exactly. Ppl don't pay $250 a ticket to see what kind of egomaniac the ref is. He's supposed to call penalties, drop pucks, and blow whistles. Not act like a tough guy and berate players. Show me a nfl ref that does that? The refs should just make the right calls as often as they can and not hold any bias for anyone, good or bad. That's the main problem with the NHL is that it seems fixed. As if every ref is a WWE ref and that's why they struggle in U.S. markets. The U.S. Want a sport with rules, not a sport where some rules apply, sometimes, if the ref likes you.

Stew, I like all your articles but this is complete nonsense and confirms that the NHL has the lowest standard of officiating. The fact that you seem to brag about that fact is truly sad and if the league wants to do what's best for the sport they would can every guy with your mindset towards officiating in the NHL and bring in guys who will call the games by the book with no bias and who remain completely impartial. The standard should be NFL not WWE