ORLANDO, FL – By nature, hockey is a rough sport that has gotten rougher over time because of the development of better equipment through science and bigger, better bodies through training. The only thing that at times keeps it sane is the human element in the form of on-ice game officials whose job it is to administer the rules of the game and generally try to keep the men with the sticks from committing acts that on the street would earn a person jail time. The rules imply that referees and linesmen should be considered authority figures who deserve respect. Unfortunately for the men in stripes, those rules were seemingly tossed out the window last Friday night in an AAHL game in Evansville, Indiana. It might be considered just a momentary lapse of judgment by a player looking to impress a coach – that is until you dig a little deeper. The incident in question occurred during a game between the Chi-Town Shooters and the Evansville Icemen. It is not completely clear at what point during the game it came because the game box score, just as every game during the month of December, has yet to be posted. In fact, those of us who did not attend the game found out about it via a video clip that was posted on YouTube and picked up by hockey websites such as HockeyRefs.com. What we see on the video is what appears to be the later stages of a huge brawl between the two teams. As the referee and linesmen are trying to usher players off the ice, another shoving match breaks out. Someone takes a shot at Clay Lewis and he doesnât like it. He chases the player and cross checks the guy on the back of the shoulders and then appears to lay his stick into the face of another Evansville player. At this point, one of the linesmen gets to Lewis and starts dragging him to center ice. Lewis can be seen dropping his gloves and then pulls the linesmanâs jersey over his head and looks ready to start pummeling the official. An Evansville player sees what is going on and flies over to grab Lewis before he can do any real damage. Lewis was tossed from the game – or at least we think so since we havenât seen the box score. Also still anticipated is further action from the league in the form of a lengthy suspension. The fact that this incident happened is an issue but it is far from the only thing that I see wrong. This is at least the second such situation to occur in the second-year league this season. The first happened on opening weekend when according to HockeyRefs.com, Kristjan Jefkins landed five punches on a linesman, drawing a Category I offense. Jefkins was hit with a 20-game suspension, which some associated with the league considered too lenient but the powers that be decided that with a 46 game schedule, 20 was sufficient. All of that was made moot when Jefkins was waived a week after the incident. I will interject here and say that I have seen both Lewis and Jefkins play in the SPHL. By my recollection, neither player seemed to be the type that would unleash any kind of wrath on a game official. I do not know them personally so I canât say that either one could or couldnât be capable of such an act. In researching each playerâs pro background, Lewis in 87 games prior to going to Chi-Town had amassed a grand total of 179 penalty minutes, which comes out to just over two minutes per game average. Jefkins never had a pro stop in the U.S. with more than 36 penalty minutes. He did rack up 153 PIMs in 38 games with the Amsterdam Tigers in Holland during the 2008-2009 season. There is one coincidence that I havenât mentioned here. I did state that Lewis plays for the Chi-Town Shooters. At the time of his incident, Jefkins was also a member of the same Chi-Town franchise. The coach (and general manager and we think part owner) of the Shooters is Darren Seid, a Long Island native who is listed as having all of 32 games of pro experience as a player. Seid piloted the Shooters to the AAHA (now AAHL) championship a season ago but that may not be the thing he is remembered for. Three of his pro games, including two this year, have come when he decided to dress himself and play. His one game last season was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Late in the contest, Seid, for some unknown reason, decided to engage in a fight. In the process of the altercation, he attempted to fight each opponent on the ice, had his jersey and shoulder pads completely discarded, and skated bare upper bodied to the opposition bench where he proceeded to invite the entire team onto the ice to âdanceâ. It was a moment straight out of âSlap Shotâ and thanks again to YouTube, will live on in cyber land. The league chose to suspend Seid as a player and coach. Originally banned for the balance of the 2008-2009 regular season and playoffs, the coaching ban was commuted to just the regular season, making him eligible to be behind the bench for the post season. The playing ban lasted through the playoffs but stopped there, allowing him to apply to be âreinstatedâ during the summer. Obviously the reinstatement discussion went well as he is listed as having been dressed for two games this year, posting one goal and one assist with 14 penalty minutes. According to people around the league, Seid has never been a fan of the officials but then again, what coach is. The question is whether Seid has any respect for the refs and whether he is passing on that attitude to his players. If he does, then maybe he needs to get a better hold on his players. If he doesnât, then the league needs to take some kind of action before a referee or linesman gets seriously hurt which could lead to legal action. By some accounts, decisions on discipline in the AAHL have about as much bite as the character of the Abominable Snowman post-dental work in âRudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeerâ. The Seid situation from last season is a perfect example and the decision to limit Jefkins to 20 games may just confirm that. The bigger issue may be what kind of a message it sends to the game officials. Bob Langdon, who at one time held the position of AAHL Director of Officials as well as commissioner and is himself a working official, feels that the wrong message is being sent. âItâs an embarrassment to hockey,â he said. âIf I was an official in that league and this kid (Lewis) is not thrown out of the league for life and the coach and team are not dealt with as well, I would not set foot on the ice. For the amount they get paid, not a chance.â If the officials know that the players have no regard for their authority, why should they put themselves in harmâs way? There is no reason why they should have to. The AAHL, just like any other league, needs to take responsibility for seeing that game officials are viewed as extensions of the league and as such, are treated with respect. If they donât, there may just be a bigger price to pay down the road.
Editor’s note: Over the Christmas weekend, the AAHL anounced that Clay Lewis has been suspended for the rest of the regular season and post-season. He will be eligible to apply for reinstatement for the 2010-2011 season following the AAHL championship series. Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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