Do hockey refs have to wear visors?
Each official is required to wear a black hockey helmet, with chin strap properly fastened, and a non-altered half-shield visor properly attached to their helmets.
They wear a helmet, black and white long sleeve shirt, black pants, skates, and a whistle. The helmet is the most important part of the uniform and must be selected carefully. All officials in today's game wear visors to protect their eyes. As it is commonly known, refs and players alike used to not wear helmets.
Any official who started after 2006 now wears a visor, but any official who was in the NHL before then has the right to choose. “The guys who hadn't worn it in the past were just not comfortable wearing it,” Murphy explained.
There is accountability for NHL officials, believe it or not, even if they're now shielded from reporters and never hung out to dry by the league. There's a logger watching each game in the league's situation room, jotting down notes on every penalty — and every perceived missed call — throughout the game.
According to current NHL rules, all players other than netminders must wear a visor for facial protection rather than a wire cage. However, some amateur and college leagues across the world require players to wear full facial protection which includes a cage or full visor.
The visors in the end protect a player's eyes and upper bridge from extensive damage. Bryan Berard lost eyesight in one eye as a result of taking an errant Marian Hossa stick in the eye on an unforgettable night in Ottawa while with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Decades later, the attention turns to the shrinking number of players without a visor. When Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, Brian Boyle, and Zdeno Chara did not return to the ice for the 2022-23 season, it made the magic number eight. That's the number of current NHL players still competing without a visor.
Rule 9.7 – Visors: Beginning with the 2013-14 season, all players who have fewer than 25 games of NHL experience must wear a visor properly affixed to their helmet. Visors are to be affixed to the helmets in such a fashion as to ensure adequate eye protection.
Background: Ice hockey referees and linesmen are at risk for musculoskeletal injuries because of the lack of protective equipment and contact with players, sticks, pucks, the ice surface and boards.
NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League's Board of Governors today approved a change to the Coach's Challenge Rule (Rule 78.7), which will provide for the assessment of a two-minute minor penalty for unsuccessful coach's challenges to alleged offside infractions leading to goals.
Why are there 4 refs in ice hockey?
The NCAA voted in July 2012 to make the four-official system mandatory for men's games starting in the 2013-14 season. In the two-official system, each official acts as both referee and linesman. Each official has the responsibility to call both penalties and line violations.
The referee will not normally break up a fight unless the linesmen need assistance, or a fight is occurring where a player has gained a significant advantage over the other player, leading to concerns of significant injury.
Historically, courts have found that lawsuits against officials arising from an injured party's participation in a sporting event are only actionable if the injured party demonstrates recklessness, willfulness, intentional misconduct, malice, or wanton conduct on behalf of the official.
How much does a Hockey Referee make? As of Jul 6, 2023, the average hourly pay for a Hockey Referee in the United States is $19.46 an hour.
NHL refs don't earn a salary in the postseason, however, they are compensated properly through a generous bonus. They earn $27,000 per round worked in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to Scouting The Refs.
The visor made him look like RoboCop. CCM, Ovechkin's equipment manufacturer, commented. “Tinted visor is just my style,” Ovechkin said in a Hockey News Q&A in December 2005. “I only wear it for that reason.”
Verdict on NHL Visorless Players
As the NHL moves towards increased player safety, visorless players like Ryan O'Reilly, Zack Kassian, Zach Bogosian, Jamie Benn, Matt Martin, Milan Lucic, Jordie Benn, and Ryan Reaves represent a dying breed.
NHL GMs banned the mirrored visor as well as “darkly tinted” ones in 2006, at the time Alex Ovechkin was one of the only players to ever use them. It's been said that the league's marketing department complained as they couldn't see the player's faces.
The most popular visor in the NHL is the Bauer Pro-Clip Straight Visor (Clear). Another popular NHL visor is the CCM Revision V24 Visor.
The NHL is making it mandatory for all players who entered the league during the 2019/20 season or later to wear helmets during warmups. Players who entered the league before that will be grandfathered in an not required to wear them. Brandon Clark and 1,738 others like this. Why…?
Who was the last NHL player to not wear a helmet?
On this day in 1958, Craig MacTavish is born. He would be the last NHL player to skate without a helmet and would later become general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. Jarred Cohen and 1,562 others like this. Also got away with OUI resulting in a death when he played for Boston.
On April 2, 1988, wearing jersey No. 0 for the Hartford Whalers, rugged veteran defenseman Sheehy scored on Boston Bruins goalie Andy Moog, becoming the only player - and obviously, the last player - to score a goal wearing that single oval digit on his back.
The NHL formerly allowed players to wear both No. 0 and 00, but nobody has worn either since Marty Biron suited up for the Buffalo Sabres in 1995–96 with the double-zero on his back. The league subsequently outlawed the practice the following season.
19, 25, 36, 41, 45, 50, 70, 72, 74 and 88 are all worn by at least one player at each position. Of course, 66, 69 and 99 are not worn by anybody.
If you want to learn more, read on! The rule is basically the same across all leagues (MS, HS, NCAA, NFL, CFL)- it states that visors are only allowed in game play if they are 100% clear unless you have a medical excuse that requires you to have tint to protect your eyes. There might be a catch though.
Because a photochromic visor cannot meet the BS standard, nor the ECE standard they are technically unlawful to use.
A sports visor, also called a sun visor or visor cap, is a type of crownless hat consisting simply of a visor or brim with a strap or buckle encircling the head. The top of the head is not covered and the visor protects only the face, including eyes, nose, and cheeks, from the sun.
There are no known beards among NHL referees. Since all hockey referees and linesmen wear long sleeves, any tattoos would be easily covered up unless they were on the face or neck. Players growing beards has become a tradition during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
No, but they do get written up. At the end of every game, each official's work is evaluated by senior non-field referees. They're not just looking for bad calls, but other things that you wouldn't even notice like an official being out of position or not paying attention in a critical situation.
Why Do the Refs in NHL Not Stop Players When they Start Punching Each Other? Since fighting is part of hockey, refs act as the referee, almost like you would see during a boxing match. Since both players are choosing to fight each other, the ref is there as a moderator.
What is the Gretzky rule in hockey?
The Gretzky rule
In June 1985, as part of a package of five rule changes to be implemented for the 1985–86 season, the NHL Board of Governors decided to introduce offsetting penalties, where neither team lost a man when coincidental penalties were called.
Charging is a penalty in ice hockey. Rule 42 of the NHL rulebook dictates that charging "shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner.
NHL Rule 14D states that “[n]o playing Coach or playing Manager or goalkeeper shall be permitted to act as Captain or Alternate Captain.” The Canucks have thought of a solution though. Willie Mitchell will handle all of the captain's duties on ice—things like those little chats with the referee.
One & Done: Referee Dean Morton scored in the only NHL game he played. In the world of sports, athletes often dedicate their entire lives to reaching the pinnacle of their profession, but for many, life at the top can be short-lived.
Referee extends his arm above his head to indicate that a penalty has been committed by a player of the team not in possesion of the puck. Call is made when the penalized team gains controll of the puck or upon a stop in play.
On-ice officials are present on the ice during the game, and traditionally wear a shirt with black and white vertical stripes. The National Hockey League (NHL) currently employs four on-ice officials in each game—two referees and two linesmen. Referees are identified by their red or orange armbands.
"The Code" of NHL fighters includes this maxim: don't turtle. For those who aren't familiar with the term, turtling is when a player initiates a fight and then covers up like a turtle going into his shell without actually throwing a punch. This move is considered dishonorable.
Channelling Nerves is Possible
Many referees can get very fearful and uptight before they officiate their appointed fixtures, so much so that they dread refereeing. Many may feel very irritable on the journey to the venue, they may even be sick or in some cases they refuse to officiate.
Heavyweight boxer Iago Kiladze punched the referee after he was stopped in defeat during his encounter with Viktor Faust.
Play is stopped, restarted with a dropped ball for the team that last touched the ball (before it touched the match official) at the point where it touched the match official.
Can refs get fined for bad calls?
Silver confirmed that the league does in fact punish officials for incorrect calls as he spoke to ESPN about how the association deals with those referees. 'We don't publicize discipline for officials.
If the match is abandoned by the referee due to a significant change in the weather or the pitch becomes unplayable the match will be replayed from scratch regardless of score or how many minutes have elapsed.
The season is defined by exhausting travel -- most refs typically work three games a week, meaning they're on the road 19-21 days a month -- and their ultimate goal is to skate in the Stanley Cup playoffs. More than anything else, there's a need to keep up with the best.
According to reported salary estimates on job posting sites, the average Zamboni driver salary is around $13 per hour, or $26,500 (USD) annually. Top earners, such as NHL Zamboni drivers, earn a salary range from $29,000-$31,000, per ZipRecruiter.
Compared to their peers in the NFL, NHL and MLB, NBA referees' salaries are among the best. NFL referees make an average of $205,000; MLB umpires rake in as much as $450,000; NHL referees earn approximately $262,500 on average.
Benefits. NHL officials, as we stated earlier, are covered by a union, and their contracts are collectively bargained. Therefore officials are eligible for a pension and retirement fund and receive medical, dental, life insurance, career counseling and more.
It says that referees are given "very wide latitude in the penalties with which they may impose under this rule." According to former NHL official Kerry Fraser, fighting is technically a rule violation. Any player who fights is automatically subjected to sitting in the penalty box for at least five minutes.
They earn a flat salary for the season and then bonuses, which can come per-game or for working postseason games.
Having a good flow is great for players, but officials aren't players. We get paid to be professionals and we should look like it. Officials should also be clean shaven, or keep facial hair short and cleanly trimmed. Start with what you carry along with you during games.
Verdict on NHL Visorless Players
As the NHL moves towards increased player safety, visorless players like Ryan O'Reilly, Zack Kassian, Zach Bogosian, Jamie Benn, Matt Martin, Milan Lucic, Jordie Benn, and Ryan Reaves represent a dying breed.
Do NHL refs wear protection?
Hockey referees must wear padding to protect them from injuries while officiating games. This includes shin pads, protective girdles, pants and shirts. The padding can help prevent serious injuries such as broken bones or concussions.
Hockey Referee Equipment
Other equipment includes a whistle (of course!) either supplied by the league, or you'll have to get your own. You need to stay protected on the ice during games, so wearing pads on the shins, knees and elbows is common.
Background: Ice hockey referees and linesmen are at risk for musculoskeletal injuries because of the lack of protective equipment and contact with players, sticks, pucks, the ice surface and boards.
There are 2800 women referees, but none reffing higher than the junior levels. However, female and male refs go different paths when reffing hockey games.
Throughout a game, the referee and linesmen have a role in preventing fights through the way they are managing the game—calling penalties, breaking up scuffles before they escalate, etc.
Beginning with the 1996-97 season, the NHL decreed that Nos. 0 and 00 could no longer be worn since they confused the League's digital database; today, only No. 1 through No. 98 are allowed, No.
In 2005, Alexander Ovechkin made an elaborate entrance into the league with his mirrored visor. However, after a few years, he stopped wearing it in exchange for a “normal” tinted visor. So, can NHL players wear mirrored visors? Technically, yes—they can.
The final eight helmetless NHL players included the likes of Guy Lafleur, Doug Wilson, Rod Langway, Randy Carlyle, Brad Marsh, and finally, Craig MacTavish. By the 1993-94 season, MacTavish was the lone helmetless NHL player, a moniker he'd hold until his retirement in 1997.
According to author Ross Bernstein, who wrote the book "The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL," fighting is a way for the sport to "police itself," and to remind players that there are consequences for stepping over the line during play in such a way that "the Code" is violated.
Typically, the highest-graded referees move on to officiate the postseason. That means that if an official consistently receives below-average grades, they won't get the opportunity to officiate playoff games. There are rare instances in which the NFL has fired a referee for a particularly egregious call.
Do NHL refs get graded?
Being evaluated is part of the job description for officials and everything the referee or linesman does -- preparation for the game, conditioning, Rule book application, positioning, dealings with players and coaches and functioning as a member of a team,punctuality, work ethic, etc, -- is subject to review.
