In Hockey Canada, for leagues where there is no change icing, it does not technically allow players or goalies to change for equipment adjustments. If the goalie's equipment needs adjustment, by rule, technically, they cannot substitute the other goalie or pull them for an extra player (They can only add a goalie if they're pulled). Their only option would be to take a time out where they still cannot change but could go to the bench to try to fix the problem in 30 seconds or to take a delay of game penalty where I don't know if they could still change. What are your perspectives on this situation that nearly happened to me? I don't know what I would've done TBH. (FYI, this was u18aaa, not your average house game)

Last night I was playing in a beer league game and both teams were man down, playing 4v4.

We score.
The refs let their man out of the box.

Have never seen that one before!

His justification was non-sensical. "They weren't offsetting penalties."

We are running a 4-on-4 tournament in support of United Way and are looking for some referee's. Here is some more information:

• Dates: March 24th to April 4th, 2025
• Times: 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (36 total games)
• Venues: Calgary, AB, Canada - Southland Leisure Centre (All round robin & bronze medal games) and Max Bell (Gold medal games on April 4th)
• Teams: 15 teams across 3 divisions (Recreational, Intermediate, and Competitive)
• Pay: Compensation will be provided at standard rates ($50 to 60 per game I believe)

This tournament has been running for the past 23 years and we have used referee's from our corporation in the past, but we would like to put a bit more scrutiny around player safety and respect this year given that it's a corporate tournament for charity. Looking for experienced referee's to help us out, DM me if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Do you wear a smart watch when you ref?

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Do you have Reeq Pro referee pants?

need help for size.

Have heard they can be a bit "Bulky"

What size would you recommend is 174 tall and weighs 80 kg.

"5'9" and 178/ LBS) pounds. "

No response from customer service.

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I reffed a game last week where one of the goalies would make a save, wait for me to skate up to take the puck out of his glove for the faceoff, and then throw it in the opposite direction. But juuuust close enough to me to have plausible deniability that he was throwing the puck away from me on the ice.

This is an adult league, in a division where he is skilled enough to know this is not normal behaviour. Every other goalie I have ever encountered who is capable of picking the puck up off the ice and standing up after a save holds it in their glove for the 1 second it takes me to get there and take it for the faceoff. He also started out the game doing the normal thing, so I knew that he could.

The only explanation I can think of for this insanely stupid behavior is that he thought I missed a slash on him, which is possible given I was stuck reffing alone that game. I fucking hate this job. Rant over.

USA Hockey rules, adult, or any age, can a goalie freeze the puck within the trapezoid but out of crease, no contact with blue?

At my son's U15AA game last night a kid on his team was assessed a 2 min unsportsmanlike penalty for snowing the goalie. Missed the pass up the middle, beat the dmen down the ice, but goalie covered it before he could get a shot off. I have watched alot of hockey, and have never seen this called. Am I wrong when I think the ref was just trying to give the home town team an powerplay to help them get in the game? It's it common for that call to happen?

For context I am a score clock and game sheet volunteer and keep getting inconsistent answers about this, so we end up running the clock for the last period or two often. This screws everything up and ends with 3 min penalties etc

Question, how important do you think coach/player communication is as a referee?

I hear all the time "I just want to be talked to?". I would be curious what the opinion is of other referees in keeping games under control and avoiding major conflicts.

Did not expect that post to get so much traction. We’ve had a lot of refs here arguing and questioning the correct call as well. We came down to two conclusions. While this is a very weird situation it follows under a bunch of specific rules for which there really is no correct call. Me and another are submitting a request for either a rule change or rule implementation for this situation as again it’s very weird and in my 5 years of experience I have never even seen or heard of this happening. It seems to be the general consensus that it should have been a penalty shot but since the goalie is pulled from the ice they are not allowed to be substituted back on the ice which is why this is a weird loophole. Looking back I feel as if the awarded goal was the better option as a minor penalty for taking away the almost guaranteed goal didn’t really seem as if it punish the team for committing the infraction. Thank you all for the replies and helping with this weird case!

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Just a quick vent… had beer league last night, Lower C. Sometimes stupidity happens, but usually it’s a pretty chill league. Second game of the night, game ended around midnight. Final score was 7-0, with 15 penalties. 13 on the losing team, 5 on one player, 4 of them on one play… away from the play guy slashes a guy… while my arm is up, he then gives the guy a solid cross check. After the whistle he drops his gloves, so he gets a major for fighting and a game misconduct. 🙄🙄

Sometimes I hate this game. Thankfully the other guy didn’t do anything to respond.

So I had a game today where I called a minor on a kid for a body check, then after the whistle, the two kids get in an altercation, so I give matching roughings, one to the same kid who got the body check and the other to the kid he hit. How was that even supposed to work. 4 on 4, then 5 on 4, then after the end of the kids second minor ends, 5 on 5?

So last week I was reffing a game and had something happen that I’ve never had to deal with before. I’m aware of breakaway on an empty net and fouled is an awarded automatic goal as “any imminent goal that is prevented from a penalty shall be awarded”. Well in the 3rd period a player on the team that was up by two goals was going to shoot the puck when 2-3 defenders pressured him and stripped the puck away. I had my arm up already for a too many on the ice and awarded a goal as the players shot was taken away because of the defenders jumping the boards and going after him. I have never called this before and want to make sure it’s either the right call or should have just been a penalty?

My son is playing a hockey tournament in Spokane, Washington. We are a U18 Non Body Checking team from Calgary, Alberta Canada. Im an active hockey official in Canada so obviously familiar with Hockey Canada rules. But not familiar with USA Hockey rules?

Care to provide me a summary of the most obvious differences we will encounter?

Thanks in advance!

So what are your thoughts on on officials wearing gloves during a game? I thought it was frowned upon but I have seen more of it lately. I will most definitely wear them when I’m doing adult league once it gets cold but not sure about the youth USA hockey games…

I primarily (and prefer) lining but am only 5'8. I have above average skating skills and been playing hockey my whole life. I was recently thinking about how my height might affect my progression in doing higher level games.

Has anyone ever had issues with this or is it totally irrelevent? I've been reffing for 3 years when I was 13-16 and recently just started again after 8 years off. I do have the goal of eventually reffing Junior A and maybe major junior if the opportunity presents itself but just wondering if my height could be an issue.

What happens if a player was to play in a game during his suspension without anyone noticing?

Hey guys,

Something I've been wondering. Why is there no high sticking penalty in Hockey Canada in U18 and below? I've been trying to figure out the rationale and I can't think of a really good reason.

Any theories?

For my American friends, assuming the rules aren't the same, high sticking penalties are for junior(U20) and Senior leagues only. Below that it's called as head contact. No difference in length, still a 2 minutes penalty for a basic offense.

What is everyone’s process for watching live barn film of games you have done before.

I want to improve and watch the game back and see what can be improved, but not sure where to start, any help is appreciated

Hockey Canada/Hockey Calgary

I've run into this situation a handful of times the last month or so. The goal pegs in most rinks in Calgary suck. The net comes loose a lot. Of course, with the way some goalies play the position, they use the posts to push off and they slam against them pretty hard to seal off the short side. This can cause the net to come off even more frequently for those goalies.

At what point do you start talking to the goalie and give him/her a warning about continually knocking the net off?

On the one hand I understand that the pegs suck and that you are playing the position the way you've been trained. On the other hand, you're causing constant delays in the game and these stoppages only occur when the other team is threatening to score (which, understandably, is really infuriating for the opponent). I would have more sympathy if it was a problem for the goalies on both teams, but it's usually only one that has a problem keeping the net in place even when they switch ends each period.

Hello refs. Adult league. Ran into a situation the other night. I always push offensemen off the top of my crease to give me another foot or so of space. Obviously this is far less contact than the defense/offense give each other battling for position. I don't do any chops to the skates, just my blocker pushing their lower back to move them forward. Never in my life has this been an issue.

During a game I t-push from left to center top of my crease and push the player forward as normal to get a little separation. Unfortunately, this happened to be a girl, who was also standing straight up in a non-athletic position so she went fucking TUMBLING. Their team got real mad and salty. Started crashing net hard and talking shit about how next shot is going at my head (never happened). Not that I care I just find it funny how mad they got.

No penalty was called on the play. After the game the ref told me that she knows I was pushing off offensemen all game and that's fine, but to use my glove rather than my blocker. Using a blocker is technically a misconduct. I can't imagine that's true? This chick would have went flying no matter what hand I pushed off on. My only guess to what the ref meant was 'checking from behind' but that doesn't designate glove vs blocker

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I say this as also being a player along with a ref. C level game, first stop with the drop being at the end zone dot. Center wins the drop towards the center of the eyes to his defenseman. The winger directly behind me immediately for whatever fucking reason hits my skate out from under me with his stick, putting me straight on my ass. He apologized, but I was asking him what the hell his plan was with where he was going.🤦‍♂️

If a player makes a pass to his/her teammate & that teammate shoots the puck & the goalie makes a save & causes a rebound & that same player who shot the puck puts in the rebound does the player who initially passed the puck to that teammate get an assist?

I coach a U12 hockey team and we had a frustrating end to a game and I thought I would ask the experts here for their thoughts.

2-2 game with about a minute to go. With :57 seconds left, the other team gets called for hooking and the offender mouths off at the referee and gets an extra 2 for unsportsmanlike. Referee says it’s like a double minor so it’s still 5 on 4.

Play starts again, with us on a power play. At 27 seconds left, We get a 2-on-1, and it’s suddenly whistled down because the referee is giving the kid in the box another 2 for unsportsmanlike.

Clearly, he should not have whistled it down, but with this new penalty, should we not have been given a 5 on 3?

Topic says it all. Hockey Canada. Slap shot blocked clean by shin guards of defending player. Puck travels all the way down the ice. No other extenuating circumstances. What is the call??