This was from a series of posts earlier in the year based on a fictional event that triggered mass hysteria in the NHL which means it could happen….and not saying it could not. The names are kept as close to the vest as possible and heads will roll. We are starting from the Fallout and going backwards each Tuesday until its completion. First an example of a “nonfiction” bad call and off we go.
You had to know that after the incident on Memorial Day weekend, that the NHL would be in serious trouble. When riot police are called in, it is always very bad. When refs are fired in this way, you know trouble will be double. People were not going to take this lying down and blame would be spread all around. From literally the mountain tops to the prairies, this thing would take a life of its own and only had the late spring and summer months to make it simmer and then boil over some more.
Well when Peel and Auger got their unceremonious pinkslips in record fashion, Terry Gregson and the referees of course were going to react. They basically did so in a quick and decisive way. They quit literally. One big en masse action and better than a walkout or strike. Think about it, this is right in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Where was Gary Bettman going to get officials that were not only NHL caliber but playoff ready?
In what had to be a true insult to the NHL, even AHL referees and ECHL referees would not move on up for the playoffs. Basically imagine having the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals officiated by youth hockey league officials. Can you imagine that just for a second? Referees that basically never would see the light of an NHL day suddenly deciding who was going to win a Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks filed a lawsuit with the NHL stating that the injuries their players suffered from the “Anaheim Melee” could have been avoided with better diligence from the NHL. The NHL of course issued a standard “no comment” but the legal team was secretly reeling know that this not only had the potential to set new precedent but the fact that they might lose also weighed on them.
The strangest thing of all is that despite all the problems, the Conference and Stanley Cup Finals went off without any major officiating blunders. All the fireworks would happen off the ice ironically. Oh by the way, in a shocking upset, the Phoenix Coyotes won the Stanley Cup in six games over the Washington Capitals. Shane Doan scored the game winning goal and literally somewhere in Winnipeg, tears were shed wondering what could have been. All Alexander Ovechkin could do was kind of shrug it off. Just months earlier, they had been denied the gold by Sweden in a mild upset. Now he was denied the Stanley Cup despite scoring 14 points in the six games literally accounting for 14 of the 21 goals (almost 67%) in some way (8 G, 6 A).
As Phoenix basked in the glow of winning their first ever Stanley Cup, the NHL Awards became front and center. Ryan Miller took the Vezina trophy in a bit of a surprise with Tomas Vokoun taking second and Antti Niemi third (also a surprise). Alexander Ovechkin swept the major awards again and of course when you have a 151 point season, that will occur. Martin Brodeur won 45 games to lead the NHL but Jonathan Quick won 44 in what has to be a good sign for Los Angeles who made the playoffs and so did Anaheim obviously. Mike Green won the Norris more for Team Canada’s struggles in the Olympics than anything else. Of course the only thing anyone would talk about in Vegas is what would next year mean for the NHL and the refs.
Gary Bettman would have several press conferences over the summer but Terry Gregson and the refs would hold firm. Bettman was willing to bring the refs back but not the disgraced ones (Peel and Auger). Though Gregson and the refs were vehemently opposed to such an action. Bill Daly would try to reach out to Gregson and Colin Campbell as well, but to no avail. The Referee and their Union sued and won because the terminations were done without due process. The Board Of Governors would eventually throw their muscle around and on September 1st…the unthinkable happened. Gary Bettman tearfully resigned from being Commissioner of the NHL. Most fans everywhere were ecstatic however nothing would be the same.
What would come down the pike was far worse than anyone ever could expect. Search committees and legal fights galore from all angles. This really could not have come at a worse time for the NHL. The NHLPA still in upheaval after its firings suffered another setback when their top choice stepped back and said no. Players were willing to side with refs and cause another lockout if necessary if the refs were not brought back. The CBA was coming up and the salary cap did not go up for the 2010-11 season. With the cap at 56.8 million, teams were forced to scramble even more than last season. Yes all the teams got under the cap before the October season openers but Philly had to put Ray Emery on the LTIR even though his injury was just about healed. The NHL allowed it though.
Now what would result with the refs? Funny most would ask that since this is what this is about. Ultimately with an almost 20% pay increase, the refs came back minus Auger and Peel. The league took enough hits from Olympic coverage, etc. They had to swallow their pride on this one. What would come down next was a bit surprising.
There was no actual commissioner for the start of the 2010-11 season. The Board Of Governors basically ran the NHL with Bill Daly as sort of interim Commish err yes guy. In our two part conclusion, there will be the inevitable what the referee structure looks like because there are radical changes that happened that the refs did not realize they were agreeing too. Needless to say someone forgot to read the fine print but that is for next week. Oh my!
