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FRASER: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN OFFICIAL IS INJURED?

Kerry Fraser, TSN, Jan 6 2012

Hello Kerry,

Big time Leaf fan so I've hated you since 1993, but I love your column and I'm willing to reconsider!

In the other night's Canucks-Wild game, linesmen Thor Nelson was injured with a cut hand and received some medical attention from the Canucks' bench.
Minutes later, there was a possible offside as Vancouver entered the Minnesota zone. I looked to the linesman for the call but noticed he was behind the play and out of position. I was very surprised! NHL linesmen are always right on the line!

That's when I realized someone was missing. Only three officials remained on the ice. With eight minutes to go and Vancouver up 2-0 the game carried on and I doubt many fans in the building noticed.

The remaining linesman Vaughn Rody was a champ as he skated end to end several times chasing icing calls and nearly had to step into an altercation involving Boom Boom Bieksa and one of the Wild players. Kudos to him for keeping the game rolling!

What is the policy when an official is injured?

Thanks Stripes,
Chris Marshall,
Vancouver, BC

—–

Hey Chris:

Thanks for at least reconsidering. I appreciate the second chance – my family says I can be very lovable.

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs there is always a backup referee in attendance. His responsibility is to watch the game on television in the officials' room, dressed in all his gear minus skates and ready to spring into action in the event of an injury. In series deciding games there is both a referee and linesman backup assigned.

In regular season games, unless an official has a night off in that city and decides to take a busman's holiday by attending the game, when an official is injured and has to leave the ice the crew works one man short. There's no time and a half pay for what Vaughn Rody did; the remaining guys really have to step it up.

I have been involved in several situations such as this throughout my career; both in one referee-two linesman system as well as the two and two. My good friend Thor Nelson had to leave the ice another time; this one in Denver after being struck by a wicked slap shot right in the middle of his back after an end zone faceoff he had just conducted. The impact of the puck fractured the vertebrae in his back. The poor guy was in such horrible pain that I got his room key and checked on him throughout the night. The next day he had to be helped onto the plane get home to his doctor. Thor's line partner filled the void and we assisted him with icing signals and line coverage wherever possible.

If a referee is injured and forced to leave the game the other ref goes back to the old system of chasing the play from goal line to goal line. With the red line now removed odds are that the lead linesman will be on the goal line covering for the referee and awaiting his arrival. When a linesman is injured the remaining linesman must cover both blue lines which is an incredibly difficult task given the speed through the neutral zone and the quick transition game that practically every team employs.

In the one referee-two linesmen system we also had to concern ourselves with an offside pass at the red line. At least Vaughn didn't have worry about that aspect of coverage with the red line being a non factor other than for icing the puck.

I have a funny story for you Chris on a 'serious injury' that never fortunately didn't occur. I was assigned to work a game in old Buffalo Aud with linesmen Ron 'The Bear' Asselstine and Dan McCourt. A fight broke out and as the guys were rolling around on the ice 'The Bear' stood up, grabbed his leg with both hands in a tight grip and showed me a skate slash clean through his outer pant and inner thigh pad.

With a look of shock on his face and bright red colour visible through the tear in his pants he said, "Kerry, I think I cut an artery". I told him to rush off the ice which he promptly did.

I went to Scotty Bowman, behind the Sabres bench and the visiting team coach and told them that Ron appeared to be seriously injured and that we would continue with just two officials. I solicited their players' cooperation and I dropped the puck in the end zone. (In this system the referee would conduct all end zone face offs so the linesman could remain on the blue line.)

With play underway I noticed 'The Bear' standing behind the glass at the door leading to the Sabres dressing room. When play stopped the door opened and Ron Asselstine stepped back onto the ice.

I said, "Bear, what are you doing back so soon if your artery was cut?" Bear, looking somewhat embarrassed bemoaned, "It was just my red underwear that was exposed!" Chief McCourt and I never let him forget it.

Ron Asselstine was one tough guy though. He charged a fan that came onto the ice during a stoppage and was about to do some damage to referee Bill McCreary when 'The Bear' headed him off at the goal line, driving his helmet into the guys back and slamming him into the boards. Bear rag-dolled the B's fan and tossed him off the open door where security dragged the guy away. Google it and you'll see it was the hardest anyone has ever been hit from behind on NHL ice.
Officials are tougher than you might think and work through a lot of injuries. All the guys have worked hurt or sick on many occasions and refuse to leave the ice unless the bone is poking through the skin.

With fifteen seconds remaining in the first period in a game in Atlanta I fractured a cheek bone after being struck by a deflected puck off the goalie stick of Stephane Fiset. I immediately grabbed my face and my finger sunk into the wound and I felt bone.

I was on the goal line near the Zamboni door so as play continued I banged on the glass, they opened the door and I stepped off the ice as the horn sounded and was escorted directly to the Thrashers medical room.

After an X-ray the Thrashers doc told me I had a 'non-displaced' fracture of the cheek bone and that I was done for the night. Eric 'Big Train' Vail stopped by the medical room to say hi as I was being stitched up and supported me in my argument with the doctor that I was going back on the ice.

I finally won the argument by saying to the doctor, "Non-displaced means it's not going anywhere right doc? So if I was a player and had to play what would you do?" The team doctor said, "If our player had to play, we would put a visor on him and send him back out."

That was just the answer I was looking for. I said, "Doc since I don't wear a helmet please have the equipment guy get me one with a visor because I have to go back out."

By the end of the third period my left eye was closed but I was able to complete the game and assist my partner Rob Martell. Marty told me it was my bad eye anyway so nothing changed!

Whenever the officiating crew loses a man through injury the players do cooperate and generally cut the guys some slack. They know it's a tough job at the best of time, let alone when you are down a man.

When an official goes down all of his teammates dig deep and attempt to support one another to maintain coverage. You could almost liken it to a team having to kill a penalty or worse yet more like a five on three. Compounding the difficulty of being down a man for the officials is that they are short handed for the remainder of the game.

Great job, 'Road Kill' – and excellent question Chris.

NBC Sports Update: In addition to my continuing regular duties with TSN I will appear this evening on NBC Sports as an intermission analyst with my friend Pierre McGuire on the NCAA College Hockey Broadcast immediately followed by NHL Overtime from NBC studio in Stamford, CT.