How many times have you seen a scramble at the net and lost sight of the puck amongst the bodies,sticks,and skates? From the stands it's easy to see how that could happen,bt if you're a goal judge,it's important to keep your eye on the puck regardless of the obstacles. Chris Powers is an off-ice official who routinely mans the judges box at the north end of the rink. Recently I asked him a little about his job and that of other off-ice officials.
How did you get a job as an off-ice official,and how long have you been doing this job?
I have been doing this job since day one of the organization. A buddy of mine works for Host Communications working as a spotter for Gene Deckerhoff covering the FSU football games. They received word that the hockey team was coming to town and would be holding meetings,looking for volunteers. We went down to the Civic Center and the rest,as they say,is history.
Do you work for the Civic Center,Tiger Sharks,ECHL or other organization?
We dont actually work for anybody. Each home team provides the off-ice officials for the games,and is in charge of the crew.
Were you a fan of hockey before you got this job?
Of course. We dont get paid so having an avid interest in the game is why we are there.
How many off-ice officials are needed for games and what are their responsibilities?
Two goal judges,2 penalty box attendants,1 person to run the game clock,1 person to keep track of penalty time,1 person to run the computer,2 spotters-1 per team,1 official calling out numbers of the players who touch the puck,and 1 official score keeper who sits upstairs at the scoring table and communicates with the folks downstairs via headset.
Did you have to have any special training,or a hockey background?
Each job is pretty self-explanatory. What you see is what you get. Every new person is paired up with an established official and they shadow him or her during a game. Once the trainee gets a feeling for each of the positions,they pick a favorite and that is what they do. Some folks multi-talk,but for me,it's goal judge or nothing.
Is there anything special you have to do before a game to get ready?
I just test the red and green lights to make sure that they work.
Is it a lot of pressure for the goal judge to be the guy who determines if a goal is scored or not?
Not as much as the first few seasons. Back in the old days when the game clock stopped you could not turn on the red light to indicate a goal. So back then it was kind of a race between you and the clock guy. You had to turn the light on before he stopped the clock or it never got on. It kind of made us goal judges trigger-happy. Now,we can turn the light on even if the clock stops (except for the end of periods) and you can take your time and make sure of the call.
Does anyone monitor your activities to make sure you are making fair and impartial decisions?
The on-ice officials have the final say,so they rule the game. Overall Larry Kish and Cory "Bam-Bam" Paterson keep an eye on things.
What happens if you say it was a goal by accident and it really wasnt a goal?
Turn the light off. FAST. If you turn it off fast the ref just lets the game continue like nothing happened.
As a goal judge have you ever had to confer wit a referee regarding a goal that is in question?
Six years of doing this I think I have conferred with refs on only two occasions. Each one of those was just to find out what I had seen because the ref was screened and could not see himself.
Has a ref ever disagreed with your decision and if so,why?
Who cares if he disagrees with you. I am not there to argue or second-guess him,he is in charge and the game goes on.
Is it distracting to have 200 lb guys and speeding pucks flying into the glass in front of you on a regular basis?
Not really. Once in a while I will loose track of the puck in the mass of bodies and will just concentrate on watching the net only,and a puck or person will pop from nowhere and bit the glass in front of me and scare the crap out of me.
How do you keep your eyes on the net when there is a lot of players and activity going on between the net and the glass?
You can move around a little bit in there to see around the guys,but it isnt bad.
What do you like best about being a goal judge?
I love it when the visiting goalie is at my end and the fans behind me really rag him. Some of the stuff they say is kind of funny.