NCAA Hockey Rulebook Section 26.4-b

Submitted by Seth9 on

"All hockey officials are required to demonstrate monstrous incompetence so as to determine the outcome of a game whenever possible, particularly during important games, such as playoff or rivalry games."

Seriously though, this is emblematic why NCAA Hockey should get rid of the single elimination structure to the tournament. So much weird annoying crap can happen to determine who wins a hockey game that you rarely get the best team in the country to win the championship. At least in a multi-game series, each team has more chances to overcome bad luck (in this case, the almost comically poor officiating that gave Miami the game).

And yes, I know it's poor form to blame the officials for the outcome. But in this case, waiving off a perfectly legitimate goal in sudden death qualifies as the officials giving Miami the game. There is no other case to be made.

GoBlue65

March 29th, 2010 at 12:10 AM ^

I don't give a shit about poor form. This is the one instance where not one sane person can argue that we got royally fucked by the referees, in turn costing us the game

jg2112

March 29th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^

Here is the other case:

Human error.

Seriously. Everyone. Get over it. Yes, the calls were bad.

Michigan lost. You'll get up tomorrow and life will go on. So will the Wolverine hockey team. And these games will be played again, in the fall, next year, and for hundreds of years. And referees will make more mistakes.

Let it go. Nothing you say will change the score in the record books.

jg2112

March 29th, 2010 at 12:19 AM ^

I'm 33 years old. I've been through this hundreds of times, between the Red Wings, Wolverines, Tigers and Lions.

Guess what? You lose, the season's over. Yeah, it might suck.

BUT IT IS JUST A GAME. Go kiss your spouse and your kids, and get ready for Michigan's 10 wins in football this fall.

MH20

March 29th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^

Your "Go kiss your kids and spouse" thing is so tired.

Face it, people are going to get mad and they're going to vent. They're going to be upset when their team loses, especially in a way like last nite. You're never going to change that.

Clarence Beeks

March 29th, 2010 at 12:26 AM ^

Generally you're right, but the problem as far as I see it is that so many people got so much more emotionally invested in this team because of the storybook run to get to this game. As soon as we all stop being upset about it we'll realize just how awesome it was to even get to this point in this season and that should be what we all remember about this season.

Wolverine In Exile

March 29th, 2010 at 12:30 AM ^

I shelved rationality when a walk-on goalie not even 5'6" managed to backstop us to 6 straight wins, an improbable conference title, and SEEMINGLY to a Frozen Four birth. This was one of those times in sports that you truly hope to witness (and be a fan of) one of the improbable, but yes, life affirming sporting events. This Michigan Hockey run was giving hope to a whole bunch of UM fans who've been beaten down the last two years that maybe, just maybe, we'd catch one of those breaks that always seems to go to someone else. Ultimate sleeping giant awakened for an unlikely run to the national championship weekend in their hometown, defeating all their conference rivals along the way. Alas, it was not to be.

I'm going to go to sleep now, wake up and see my beautiful 6-mo old daughter, and know the world's not ending, and yes, it was JUST a sports game. But for this night and probably lingering for a little while longer, DO NOT TELL this fanbase to just take this loss like any other. This is why we are sports fans, b/c it's the one thing in your life that you can invest 100% emotion in without real consequence, but damn those endings hurt. A lot.

M-Wolverine

March 29th, 2010 at 1:08 AM ^

...at least we don't have anyone telling us to "get over it, it's just a game" this time...(though I do think at least one of those people is probably pretty upset tonight, but I digress).

Thanks for renewing my faith in the need for people to be assholes at inopportune times.

Srock

March 29th, 2010 at 12:18 AM ^

We all know that when the ref loses sight of the puck, they are to blow the play dead. We can only assume that is what happened on the (non)goal in the 1st OT. What upsets me to no end is that Miami's 2nd goal of the game was scored in the exact same manner. How could the ref see the puck under Hunwick's pad? Two things should have happened, either 1) Mimai's 2nd goal should not have happened (Mich wins 2-1) or 2) based on the previous events, Michigans' OT goal should have counted. The ref blew the whistle quicker than a "Spartan whore drops her drawers"

msoccer10

March 29th, 2010 at 9:39 AM ^

They showed a great angle on replay and there was no puck showing on the Miami goal. The only difference between Miami's second goal and Michigan's overtime winner was that with Miami's, the puck was hidden for a sligthly shorter time than Michigan's. However, Hunwick was not looking around wildly for the puck, like the Miami guy. That should have tipped the ref off that the puck was loose.

rb4kb8

March 29th, 2010 at 12:21 AM ^

Just like everyone else... They are like goddamned weathermen... Nobody gets in trouble when the call for sun and it pours... The only way to hold them responsible Is to let people in the media ask th questions and call them out... I know the media isn't perfect but they would make sure people are held responsible... Bc we'd know by name, who keeps screwing up.

UMfan21

March 29th, 2010 at 2:41 AM ^

Games should be reviewed and refs calls should be tallied into "right", "wrong", and "what the hell were you looking at" calls. Refs with the highest percentages of correct calls should be the ones allowed to ref in the playoffs, and perhaps given bonus pay. Refs with the lowest percentage are shown the door.

Not really any different than an annual review that anyone with a 9to5 job does each year to measure their performance and rank against peers.

save_me_forcier

March 29th, 2010 at 12:22 AM ^

i just hate being a referee is the one profession in the world where there are no reprecussions for fucking up... i'm not saying the ref should be fired for something like that but there should at least be some form of punishment. the way it stands currently, there is ZERO incentive for a ref to make correct calls during a game (so long as he can semi-justify the ones he does make, such as saying "i couldnt see the puck")

the_big_house 500th

March 29th, 2010 at 12:33 AM ^

I would of waited to blow the whistle until I had sight of the puck because that shot was loose and it remined me of a goal that won Detroit the cup back in 2008. Game 6: Zetterberg takes a shot on Fleury that slips through his five hole, its loose, Fleury falls back on it, it passes the red line and its a goal. Had that official had been behind or to the left of it mark my words Michigan wins but he blows his whistle way way way too soon to make the call. It's all about position on these shots but this was just too obivous to not count it in. I am going to wright a letter to the CCHA too by the way because we have been screwed out of more calls than anybody in the CCHA this season and this shit has to stop before somebody is cheated out of a national title.

ajscipione

March 29th, 2010 at 12:34 AM ^

regarding the call of the (non)goal needs to be changed. That's what the replay should be there for, to make the correct call. The fact that a referee blew the whistle a split-second before the goal went in did not affect the result of the play. That should be an overrideable play. Those kids were cheated tonight and they deserved and earned the right to go on in the tournament.

Catholepistimiad

March 29th, 2010 at 1:05 AM ^

No need to "get over it" until we see the Redskins lose to BC at Ford Field. Join me in my maize and blue as I cheer the lines: For Boston, for Boston, We sing our proud refrain!
(Yes it makes me sick, but it's all I got right now.)

M-Wolverine

March 29th, 2010 at 1:12 AM ^

this is emblematic why NCAA Hockey should get rid of the single elimination structure to the tournament.

Don't say that. Now you're making me feel like we were jinxed by the gods because I said the same thing about the Basketball Tourney, and everyone said- "What? And ruin the excitement?!?" And now the injustice of single game elimination is biting us on the ass.

But then, this is a thousand times worse, because they either gave Miami a goal they shouldn't have, or took away one we should have. We won the game. We just didn't have more goals.

Captain

March 29th, 2010 at 1:22 AM ^

My dong has been cross-checked. I've taken a high stick to the wellness epicenter of my brain.

My soul is in the penalty box, and it's going to be a rough damn Monday morning.

Overdramatic maybe, but....grrrrr.

gbdub

March 29th, 2010 at 1:23 AM ^

Does the fact that it was on a delayed penalty make a difference? I ask this honestly, as I'm not sure on how it's usually called when it's the goalie, but if it's open ice and a Miami player intentionally moves the puck, it's instant whistle. The Miami goalie definitely had some degree of control over the puck before it came loose, though I don't think it was ever fully covered.

Who the hell am I kidding. This doesn't make the dong punch hurt any less. We got hosed.

JonSobel

March 29th, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^

not just injuring. The Miami goalkeeper did not have any modicum of possession. He made a save and the puck slithered across the crease. The official got himself taken out of the line of sight (as he had been doing all weekend). I could see the puck from the 10th row at center ice sitting in the crease. And from what it looked like live, the puck was on its way before the whistle sounded.