Referees have way to much influence in every sport.  Every game pretty much comes down to the officiating.  Whether it’s a 45 yard pass interference call or an umpire calling a foul ball fair.  No matter what the situation they have way too much to do with the game and it should come down to the players playing it. 

The two teams who are playing the game can only do so much but the refs have to much influence on the game.  It’s not just in hockey it’s all major league sports.  In baseball, football, hockey and they have way to much influence in basketball.  The calls they have make is left too much up to them.  Except for obvious goals, baskets etc. the penalties and fouls they call is too much of their personal opinion.  Professional sports commissioners need to make some revisions to their sports to make it so the refs don’t have so much influence on the game.  In baseball they should install instant replay so the umpires can tell if it really was a home-run, foul ball or not.  In basketball, my god, it seems the refs’ blow there whistle hundreds of times a game.  The referees call way too many minor fouls a game and it slows down the game and boars viewers.  The NHL is not as bad as most pro sports but the referees have been accused of calling too many penalties and it ends up costing the other team in the end.  The NFL needs to change a few penalties because some of them are totally their opinion.  Pass Interference is the main one.  One ref can call it if the safety touches the receiver or some officials let the safety hit the receiver as their running down the field.

Referees usually can’t win unless they make all their calls go the way of the home team.  I have experienced bad refs plenty of times throughout my hockey career.  An example is when I was in a semi-finals game and I was battling for the puck. I win the battle and I cut to go up the boards with it and I skate right into the referee.  He was not even looking at the play, he was totally spacing out and I had no idea he was there and it caused me to lose possession of the puck.  After our goalie froze the puck he comes up to me and says, “Watch where you’re going!” I won’t repeat what I said after that.  Those refs are the main reason why the good officials get yelled at so much.  Sometimes I will admit they don’t deserve it.  Probably the worst place to officiate ever is a youth hockey rink because I have experienced it.  Those parents yell at them so much I’m surprised the refs don’t skate off the ice, untie their skates and then stab that parent with the blade of their skate.

Something has to change in professional sports so the referees don’t have so much influence on the game.  It’s time the MLB starts instant replay, the NBA modifies the fouls and the NFL revises pass interfence.