With all due Respect…

What ever happened to that line?? “With all due respect”?

Or, more simply put, whatever happened to respect?

Having covered this league for 15 years now, you hear a lot of talk back and forth. Mostly it is just that, talk, chatter, harmless banter just shy of being aggressive or outright rude. Sometimes, though, it seems players lose sight of the fact that the referees are there for a reason. They are part of the game.

Are they always right? No. Will they change their mind if you argue and curse at them about the call? Heck no. I have never seen a ref change his call after a player argues his case over a penalty that he believed he did not commit.

Most players are respectful. It’s a small percentage of players that try to argue every call, or argue a non-call. All that does is delay the momentum of the game for both sides.

I am amazed at the restraint the officials seem to have with the amount of lip they tolerate while being chastised for not calling a penalty that a mouthy player claimed was obvious to everyone but him. He is doing his job. It’s not too farfetched to understand when players that are constant complainers get that reputation amongst officials.

Over the years I’ve seen most players just skate to the box and take their two minutes without uttering a word. Some coaches seem to have a rule that you do not talk to the officials. That is the coaches’ job, and it keeps the player’s head in the game, not distracted with worthless complaining.

I would think that as a player, especially a top player, you would not want to have a reputation of being a complainer. It helps no one, delays the game by distraction and can only hurt your team, in the long run.

Like all other organized sports, hockey is still a team game. The game is decided by the efforts of the players and their performance. Sometimes, just because you have the best player or players, your talent and reputation does not win the game for you. That happens with hard work, discipline, team work and respect. That’s what wins championships.

With the American conference having only 3 Tier I teams this year, the potential for the league to grow that conference is encouraging. Looking at the National Conference, there are 5 teams, who not only can compete at the Tier I level, but have won games against the American Conference.

Get on with it. Even in the heat of the moment, reign in your emotional outburst, stop showboating the referee and allow the game to move forward.

Written by Mike Costantino