Three cheers for the refs!

Referees Chaz Vance and Thomas Gilmore
C. Davis photo

Having spent the bulk of my weekend at hockey games of all levels, I came away with a renewed appreciation for the unsung heroes of the sport, the referees.  Without these guys, the game would quickly devolve into chaos.  The two young men shown above put in their time and worked tirelessly, along with many others performing the same duties, and did so conscientiously and with skill.

Nobody says "We won because of the ref."  Nobody yells out "Great call, ref!!"  The marquee outside doesn't say "Great reffing this Friday night".  It's a thankless task, made more so by the occasional boor in the crowd who can't keep his or her yapper shut, or even, shamefully, some coaches who should know better.

Yeah, refs make mistakes.  You don't make mistakes?  I no eye dew.

So, to the folks in the stripes that hold the whole thing together I say thanks.  You did a great job this weekend.

Keeping my stick on the ice,
Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice