There goes the judge
Starting this season, NHL teams no longer will be required to position a goal judge directly behind the net. It seems the days of the grim-looking guys with the lights over their heads are finished. Goal judges can now be located elsewhere in the arena, such as the press box or the corner of the rink. It seems that with video review and the ``instant review'' in Toronto, the NHL can do without a set of eyes behind the goal.
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Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews.com.
Unfortunately, Jonathan Bernier will not be starting in goal for game 1 of the Canada/Russia series. However, Brent Sutter has said that all 3 goalies will get one start while in Russia, so hopefully we will get to see young J.B. in action soon. . .
http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/news_story/?ID=216925&hubname=canadian_hockey
Plus they can get more money for the seats obstructed by the goal judge!
Too bad, I always thought that would have been a really cool job.
IS this a good or bad thing?
I'm thinking more seats for fans which means more money for owners
It's too bad, the bloke that's always on the home end of Staples is a nice gent.
And when he muffs it, who can I yell at?
I have to admit, I couldn't figure out when the Ducks stopped having a goal judge behind the nets. I went to a number of games where I was in the first row behind the goal early in the season, and I could swear I remember goal judges, but late in the season, and the playoffs I don't remember seeing them.
Hmmmmm, looks and sounds as though Bettman has figured out how to speed the game up some more by removing the goal judges. Is the NHL trying to head to a sport resembling the movie Roller Ball?? Leave it alone!!!!
Now who are we going to blame when the goal light goes on every time a puck gets within six feet of Dan Cloutier???
I think we can safely blame Dan Cloutier. Actually, we could just have him be the goal judge -- that way he'll do "something" when there is a shot on goal.
The goal judge has never had any real power anyway, as it's the referee who calls a goal. Still it's a little sad to see one more piece of hockey tradition go away.
I bet our home goal judge got some sort of thumb injury last season from pressing that damn button all the time.
You have to admit, this will cut down on the amount of sunblock Dan Cloutier has had to use on the back of his neck... Well, upon further reviews, the goals are still going to go in and the light is still going to go on...
Dan Coutier will be a great net minder this year, possibly even an all star...on Manchester in the AHL.
Joking aside,
I'd actually love for him to step up and prove us ALL wrong. I just don't see that happening neither does anyone else including Cloutier himself.
Is there a way to put Marc Nathan on ignore?
I agree with Reg Dunlop. Sorry to see a tradition disappear (even if it has lost its usefulness).
I also hope Cloutier proves all of you doubters, wrong!
The goal judge should ideally be the guy up in a box surrounded with cameras showing every possible angle of a goal.
Sometimes, 3 or 4 cameras show zip, and it's that 5th camera that's the one that shows the puck cross the line.
1 goal judge for BOTH goals should save a few bucks, but I just hope they've spent plenty of dough on cameras!
Also--Is there a move to standardize the goal judges' camera array throughout the NHL?
If you have different camera setups in different buildings, that could be a problem, perhaps?
Just a thought.
Hey Rich,
Is there any grain of truth to the J.S. Aubin rumor?
Remember, not all of the old NHL goal judges were grim faced men. There is one woman. Old, yes.