Posted by Damian Webber on October 05, 1997 at 11:51:16:
Manchester was honoured to be the first to receive a new penalty tonight.
5+Game for allowing an opposing player to slam your head repeatedly into the ice.
Rowe is a complete w*****r
I am so mad.
Officially (although I'm not sure the word is applicable as Rowe isn't capable of officiating) Ketola was given the penalty for spearing and McIntyre received 2+2 for roughing. From my vantage (which was clear) both players were having a good old ding dong with each other, slashing, butt ending and spearing in equal amounts from both players when they finally decided to fight it out, McIntyre dropped Ketola to the ice and started to pummel his head into the ice.
Up until that point Rowe hadn't done to bad a job, but after that he went to pieces, Cardiff repeatedly tried to get a penalty called against them but Rowe was having none of it. Yes I know you picked that player up and threw him to the ground but your not having a penalty. Much as the Devils tried by tripping, punching Rowe was adamant no penalty.
He received the loudest boo ever received by a ref (and there have been a lot).
Someone said last week in reply to my complaints about officiating that I should put my skates on and give it a go myself. I know that it is a very tough job, and that it isn't easy, but at the end of the day this is supposed to be a proffesional league and the officials are amateurs. I am getting very fed up of games being ruined by this appaling standard of refs.
What the answer is I don't know, maybe video replays, more power to the linesmen, another ref of the ice, import some decent refs, whatever the answer is it needs to be sorted soon.