A World Championship that in its first week was marked by superb officiating (you didn’t hear anything about the guys in stripes, right? That means something.) took an abrupt turn for the markedly worse Sunday, as incompetent on-ice work by the four men in stripes working Sunday’s U.S.-Finland tilt had a partner in crime off it.
Finland bested the U.S. 3-2, but few who watched or followed it will think much about the score when so much madness over the course of 60 minutes ensued thanks to the officiating crew. They’re pictured below. They shamed their mothers on Sunday. This is what U.S. head coach John Tortorella had to say after the game:
“I’ve heard about these horror shows as far as international refereeing. I have finally lived through one. It’s just ridiculous as far as how they’re calling the game when you have two pretty competitive teams willing to go toe-to-toe. Let the teams and players decide.”
It was a rare instance in international hockey in which a game’s officials constantly interjected themselves into what should have been a classic hockey game contested between two great hockey nations, robbing the game of flow and especially of its five-on-five strategies. The zebras whistled 23 infractions, and things got ‘74 Broad Street Bully-ish at the final horn. We recommend that you take a glance of the game’s official scoresheet here.
It was a disgraceful performance by the on-ice officiating crew. But it was matched by incompetency off it. Finland’s first goal of the game wasn’t a goal — it went through the side of Robert Esche’s net. The play was reviewed and, mystifyingly, upheld as a goal.
By the third period exasperated players and coaches on both sides, on the ice and on the two benches, could be seen laughing in surrender at the officials for their ludicrous efforts.
The IIHF was forced into a supremely embarrassing position afterward: acknowledging the non-goal mistake and firing the off-ice official! Give the Federation credit for swiftly taking action and attempting to restore credibility to its championships.
The NHL certainly could learn a lesson from this action.
