From The Crease: Game management and dealing with referees

No one on the ice has closer and more frequent contact with the referee than the goaltender.

Think about it. Every defensive zone face off mandates that the referee position himself or herself 10-15 feet away from the goaltender and straddle the goal line on the opposite side of the draw.

There is a great opportunity for wise goalies to “manage” the ref. During the course of the game there are peaks and valleys. There are times you detest the ref and times you are thankful for a call or a quick whistle that went your way.

Believe it or not, refs are human. They try to be impartial, but we all know and have witnessed refs that do take things personally.

Below are some tips to help build your relationship with the officials that will over time help you keep pucks out of the net.

Oh, you still will have issues with them, however it is how you handle them that is the message.

1. Always retrieve the puck out of the net after a goal for the linesman. Who cares about the linesman? He can’t hurt you, after all he isn’t a ref. Wrong! All game officials chat during stoppages and during intermissions. These guys are all in the same fraternity. If a linesman thinks you are an idiot for either making him dig out a puck or worse firing it away, he will mention it to the ref and bingo – you can see the ranks closing.

2. Regardless of how unfairly you were treated, whether it is crease contact or a late whistle, whatever you do don’t snap verbally or glare at the ref. Even if he is clearly wrong, what has happened is over. Show composure and still aim to keep it light with the ref.

I had a clear snowshoe foul happen against me during a game and of course I was scored on as I lay helplessly on my back. I was truly bitter and wanted to tak it out on the ref. However, I took a deep breath and dusted myself off and got up.

During the next defensive zone face off the ref smirked at me and was looking for me to bark at him. I smiled back and said something along the lines of “I better stop with the whiskey pre-game drinks, I can hardly stand up out here.”

He chuckled and we continued on. Within about three shifts an opponent lightly brushed me on the way near the crease. He immediately was called for goalie interference and we scored on the powerplay to tie the game.

Will your demeanor always pay immediate dividends? Likely not. However, the potential is there for it to help you.
By the way, that ref also proceeded to give me the benefit of a quick whistle during some crease scums a handful of times the rest of the season. It likely saved me 4-5 goals over the course of the games he handled.
So learn to manage your game by managing the refs.

Steve McKichan is the owner of Future Pro goalie school and the former goaltending coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.