HockeyShould the NHL consider microphones on referees?

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The easy answer: Put microphones on the zebras and record all conversations.

This has been considered before. During one pre-season officials’ training camp (the source was unsure of the exact year, but thought it was 2001 or 2002), the referees and linesmen tested this kind of a system. They decided against it, wanting the players – and themselves – to be able to speak freely with a four-letter vocabulary.

As one referee said, “These guys are going all out. If someone gets slashed, and it doesn’t get called, should it really be a big deal if he says, ‘You (bleeping) missed that?’”

“I remember Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman,” said another. “They were fierce competitors, but really sarcastic. Should they be portrayed that way in the heat of battle?”

One sport, however, has decided to give it a try. A reader named Shawn McMann pointed out that rugby referees have been doing this for years. It happens in both international and major club events. The audio can be used “live” during broadcasts. One English columnist wrote how hilarious it sounded to hear the refs “ask players to retreat with a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and they call him ‘sir’ in return.”

There is also an on-site video referee only used in case of replay challenges. He/she is wired, too. Apparently, this is a huge hit with TV viewers and a victory for civility.

Personally, I’m torn. I completely agree with the two officials quoted above that there is an overreaction to foul or harsh language in the heat of competition. NASCAR, for example, fines drivers for swearing in post-race interviews. If we’re going to stick a mic in someone’s face moments after an event, we should accept the possibility it happens.

However, there is something unsettling about L’Affaire Burrows.

The on-ice officials are ecstatic, as they should be. For them, it is a total victory, with Auger cleared – although we’ll all be watching to see if he gets any playoff assignments.

That’s the key. If you ask players on other teams, many will tell you they agreed with the NHL’s decision. Several were angry at Burrows, because it does no good for anyone. “Bad for the game,” was a common refrain. They felt he should have gone to the team’s general manager Mike Gillis. Others – and at least one referee – were annoyed at Auger for handling things so clumsily, because it will affect communication.

(One thing I learned this week: If you asked players to hold a popularity vote between Burrows and Auger, neither would win.)

But, why, if the NHL wanted to avoid any Tim Donaghy comparisons, would it rush so quickly to judgment?

When the NBA first learned there were questions about Donaghy, David Stern promised a thorough investigation with “transparency.” He did the exact opposite, refusing to divulge specifics and claiming this was the work of one “rogue.” That butcher job backfired, with Donaghy actually gaining credibility because Stern was so defensive.

By rushing to clear Auger, the NHL created a similar environment. Campbell went into the cone of silence for a couple of days before doing every interview possible, which was the right strategy. Can’t help but feel, however, this went too quickly. The right move here was to hold back Auger now, not later. The NHL wanted this to go away – and fast. That rarely works, particularly when it involves a Canadian team.

This situation caused so much damage. The league should be doing everything possible to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If Auger was wearing a microphone, everyone would know the truth.

Of course, the reaction to this story indicates some people wouldn’t have been happy with anything less than Auger’s public execution.

30 THOUGHTS

1. Last bit on Auger: He did not accuse Shane Doan of an anti-French slur in 2005. He applied the penalty, but a linesman made the call.

2. The Ottawa Senators are doing some serious due diligence on Clint Malarchuk. Bryan Murray coached him in Washington, but is contacting everyone he can to determine his state of mind. There is no questioning Malarchuk’s ability to coach goalies. Pascal Leclaire’s best performances came under his tutelage in Columbus, and Roberto Luongo swears by him, too. The concern: Malarchuk’s had some serious off-ice health issues, culminating in an October 2008 self-inflicted gunshot wound. (He said it was an accident.) There are a lot of people rooting for him to make it back.

3. Other possible contenders for the Ottawa job: Tom Dempsey, who was Marc-Andre Fleury’s junior coach and lives there; John Stevenson, who has a history with Cory Clouston and used to work with Edmonton; and Roland Melanson, who is in Florida. That’s not necessarily a problem, because the Senators want a consultant who travels around to see all their guys, rather than a full-time coach.

4. What I would really like to know is this: What is the problem the Senators have with Ron Tugnutt? Last summer, Tugnutt turned down three NHL jobs – Edmonton, Florida, Anaheim – because he wanted to be close to his sons, both midget-aged players. Ottawa is an easy setup for him. He played there and wants the position. But, this is the fourth time he’s applied, and they’re not interested.

5. In Leclaire’s last game, a 6-1 loss to Atlanta, he threw up his hands in frustration after an Anton Volchenkov mistake led to a goal. That didn’t go over well. No one on that team is more unselfish than Volchenkov. You never show up a guy like that.

6. Patrice Cormier should be suspended for the season. No excuse for that. At all.

7. Jack Edwards takes a lot of grief, but he hammered the Bruins pretty good during Monday’s 5-1 afternoon loss to Ottawa. He called it “the stinker of the year.” After the first period, with the score 2-0, he said, “If anyone has an alarm clock, send it to Boston.” It was pretty funny, except to maybe Claude Julien.

8. If, for any reason, Team Canada had to replace one of its goalies, my first call would be to Dwayne Roloson.

9. One NHL scout really disagrees with the idea that trading Ilya Kovalchuk is bad for Atlanta. His argument is that if Thrashers get two young pieces for him, it’s a positive because they are really developing some good players. Question is: Can they get that much?

10. Dean Lombardi told The Los Angeles Times he wouldn’t trade for Kovalchuk as a rental. It’s a smart choice and it shows how Lombardi’s been given total authority to run the team. In the summer of 2005, the Kings had a chance to sign Teemu Selanne. The organization chose instead to grab Val Bure, because it thought Bure’s marriage to Candace Cameron would create buzz in Hollywood. Bure never played again, due to injury. Sources say Selanne’s been pretty good in the last five years.

11. Reports are that Viktor Kozlov will be replaced on the Russian Team. Asked Alex Kovalev if he heard anything. He laughed and said, “They won’t be calling me.”

12. There were rumblings that Daniel Alfredsson would sit out the Olympics to heal up for an Ottawa playoff run. He says no way, not true.

13. Really like when teams bring the players’ fathers on road trips. Laughed Saturday when Hasse Alfredsson was in the concourse when Daniel scored. (He’s probably seen a few.) Daniel said that Hasse – his youth hockey coach – would go harder on him as an example to the players, knowing his son could handle it. Mike Fisher said his father, Jim (never his coach), always accentuated the positive. Clearly, there’s room for different philosophies.

14. Marc Crawford made an interesting decision Thursday in Montreal. He put Jamie Benn at centre between James Neal and Jere Lehtinen, the first time Benn played there in his life. But one teammate praised the move, saying “He’s the most talented player on the team. No one can do the things he does in practice.”

15. Watched Mike Modano scored his 550th goal that night – on the fourth line. Can’t help but wonder if we’re only going to see him for three more months.

16. Bud Selig is working hard to speed up the sale of Texas Rangers. (Tom Hicks is selling to a group fronted by Nolan Ryan.) Once that’s done, will Hicks loosen the strings on Joe Nieuwendyk?

17. Asked one scout about Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. He said, “If Halak were made available, there would be 10 teams interested. If Price were made available, there would be 29 teams interested.”

18. One opponent on the Canadiens’ lethal power play: Have to take away two things – Marc-Andre Bergeron’s one-timer and Andrei Markov’s cross-ice backdoor pass.

19. No doubt that Jacques Martin regretted saving Mike Brodeur’s career on Saturday night. Last season, as the Panthers GM, Martin brought Brodeur to AHL Rochester. The goalie, 25 at the time, was contemplating retirement.

20. Would really like to hear an explanation for the Detroit/Dallas shootout fiasco. How was Rob Martell (the referee on the goal-line) overruled by a guy 45 feet away? Basketball coaches call this phenomenon “freight-training” and it drives them crazy too.

21. Kind of surprised the Rangers would be interested in Sheldon Souray, for economic reasons. If they are going to add a big contract – and eat some other ones – don’t you think they’d be better served on using it for someone to play with Marian Gaborik? They’d be better off waiting to see if Ilya Kovalchuk becomes a free agent or Vincent Lecavalier requests a trade.

22. Has Pekka Rinne priced himself out of Nashville? He’s probably worth $5 million US a season and the Predators don’t like to go there.

23. Darryl Sutter said he wants to keep UFAs Olli Jokinen and Rene Bourque. Right now, they make $6.5 million combined. The Flames have a lot of long-term commitments, and Sutter’s got to make sure he uses this kind of freedom to find someone who can take the goal-scoring heat off Jarome Iginla.

24. Get the sense Mike Richards is irritated because he can’t imagine why anyone would question his will to win. What’s most interesting is Chris Pronger went to Richards’ defence in The Hockey News’ article. That’s a good sign for Philly, because those two must be on the same page. They weren’t earlier on.

25. Interesting that Dallas has apparently already decided not to re-sign Marty Turco. Making that choice now means one of two things: The two sides see no common ground on a contract or they just want to go in a different direction. I could understand it being the first option. The second one seems odd when he could still be a factor in a playoff chase.

26. Big, big question for Penguins GM Ray Shero – how would losing Sergei Gonchar affect Evgeni Malkin?

27. Very, very classy for Vancouver to make Alexander Pechurski the third star on Saturday night. To come off the bench in someone else’s equipment at age 19 – basically unprepared – and play as well as he did was really impressive.

28. Last year, when Luke Schenn scored his first NHL goal in Montreal, I tracked down his parents for reaction. Tried the same thing with Zack Smith’s parents in Maple Creek, Sask. Their phone was busy for two hours. Who doesn’t have call waiting anymore?

29. Canadiens did a terrific job with their new Hall-of-Fame. Well worth the visit. Jean Beliveau is a man of incredible strength to spend two full days taping his interactive display. I get annoyed if taping takes 10 minutes.

30. It will take me a while to forget Georges Laraque’s pre-game interview from Saturday night. Couldn’t stop thinking about his comment that if his parents hadn’t moved to Montreal, “That could’ve been me” in Haiti.

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