Paul Stewart: Mistakes Happen, But No Place for Excuses

I get mistakes happen. Just look at all the offside calls that were missed this year with the replay alone. The speed of the game is asking more of officials than is physically possible. Not even machines are perfect as camera angles can be obscured by equipment, a players body and/or shadows which make it difficult or impossible to tell where the puck is.

But why can't NHL officials be like their NFL counterparts and huddle and try and get the call right? If the back referee clearly makes a bad call why can't the other guys override him if they saw it more clearly? And vice versa if the action ref makes the wrong call. If the goal is to make the right call they should; regardless of the outcome. If a guy comes out of the box, so be it. It wouldn't add much time. Maybe a minute or 2 a night? If that? Run another commercial. Make a few more bucks.

I always hate it when officials say "sorry" after the bad call is made. I've seen it on the HBO shows leading up to the Winter Classics when they're mic'd up, and you've said it yourself before. That you "got it wrong", but still sent the guy to the box anyway. I'm all for taking responsibility for your mistake, but really, what is stopping on-ice officials from overruling a bad call? I'm not talking about back in Toronto where someone sees something the on-ice guys missed in slow motion. I'm talking about in the moment, at full speed, taking 5 seconds to digest what they just saw after the play is blown dead.

Does it say somewhere in the book to not allow officials that made a bad call, realizing it after the fact, or having it pointed out from the other officials from reversing themselves after maybe making a hasty split-second decision? Or being overruled by the other on-ice officials?

well said. As an official in other sports myself, I couldnt agree more with what you said

You want to watch a frustrating video? Watch Disallowed goals involving Tomas Holmstrom on YouTube. 90% are downright incorrect calls. I almost blew a gasket

You want to watch a frustrating video? Watch Disallowed goals involving Tomas Holmstrom on YouTube. 90% are downright incorrect calls. I almost blew a gasket
- aborody

I'm assuming they're mostly goalie interference calls?

Worst written rule in pro sports.