The NHL should be embarrassed by the performance of their referees on December 22nd, when they displayed a shocking lack of objectivity, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning 10 power plays against the Vancouver Canucks, apparently because the Canucks were being too mean.
These professional referees got their knickers in a knot because the Canucks criticized the job they were doing and with each questionable call, they reinforced the Canucks’ point. It was one of the most poorly officiated games I have ever seen in any sport.
But the NHL, instead of being embarrassed, is doubling down. They’re fining Jannik Hansen for embellishment in that game.
Was it embellishment? Probably. Take a look.
Here is the dive that Jannik Hansen was fined for. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/v26ZvOucNQ
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) December 31, 2015
Take that in context, however, and it’s laughable that the NHL decided to fine Hansen. It’s pretty understandable that Hansen would embellish a call when the referees had seemingly decided that the Lightning were incapable of doing anything wrong.
It’s particularly frustrating coming on the heels of Brayden McNabb’s elbow to the head of Henrik Sedin, which the NHL decided wasn’t worth a suspension. When a dive that didn’t even result in a power play in a game in which the power plays were 10-to-1 against gets a $2000 fine and a dangerous hit to the head gets nothing at all, you just have to laugh.
Really, the two decisions have nothing in common with each other apart from timing—the two decisions are handled by completely different departments in the NHL office. There is one connection, however: if you really want to get rid of diving and embellishment, you have to punish the likes of McNabb.
Henrik Sedin was told by the ref on the ice that McNabb’s hit was clean. It wasn’t. Not even close. It was a blindside elbow directly to the head. McNabb should have been called for a penalty. Instead, the Kings ended up on a power play after Alex Biega stepped in to protect his captain.
Henrik also said this:
“The only mistake I made was not staying down longer (after being hit) but that’s on me.”
Basically, Henrik is saying that the ref might have made the right call on the ice if he had stayed down on the ice longer than he needed to—if he had embellished.
Not only that, but the Department of Player Safety might have made the right call and suspended McNabb if Henrik had stayed down and, perhaps, gone to the locker room to undergo concussion protocol.
Frankly, he probably should have undergone concussion protocol in any case, as hits to the head are no joke and should be treated seriously. More seriously than the Department of Player Safety does, at least.
The Department of Player Safety is beginning to sound more and more like one of the ministries in 1984. Safety. Right.
By not getting the calls right either on or off the ice, you encourage embellishment and diving. Players will dive and embellish to draw attention to legitimate infractions because they don’t think the refs will make the right call otherwise. You have to believe that Hansen embellished because he knew the refs would ignore how blatantly he was being tripped and interfered with if he didn’t.
You’re not going to shame embellishment out of the game. You’re definitely not going to fine embellishment out of the game. We’re talking about people who get paid millions of dollars to do their dream job; people who desperately want to win at all costs; people for whom a couple thousand dollars and a stain on their reputation is nothing if embellishment helps them keep that million-dollar job and win.
You want to get rid of embellishment and diving? Make the right calls.
