Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Nike Vapormax Cheap Australia .ca! Kerry, I was watching the Leafs vs. Wild game Wednesday night and noticed that they had an official who was skating in his first NHL game. I thought it was great to see such a young man get to where he is now and display such hard work for his first game. Being an official myself who is looking to move up to do higher levels of hockey, what advice can you give me and other young officials who are looking to improve on their skills? I know an official like yourself has a lot of experience that can be shared to help officials clean up their game. Ryan Stark,London, ON Hi Ryan:It was once told to me that "from experience you attain judgment - from poor judgment you attain experience!" Those words of wisdom were told to me by then IHL Commissioner Bill Beagan in one of my very first games as referee when a bench-clearing brawl had erupted and lasted for 20 minutes. Everybody was fighting including the goalkeepers and even the trainers! I didnt have a clue how to handle the situation I found myself in for the very first time. When the dust settled all I assessed was fighting majors to four players. No first man off the bench, no third man in, no penalty to the goalies for leaving their crease; talk about a deer in the headlights moment. Fortunately Commissioner Beagan took me aside and in a fatherly way coached me as to how I needed to manage a situation like that when it happened in the future. I gained confidence through his coaching that night and through the "poor judgment" I had exercised on the ice. I made an immediate transition from playing to officiating in 1972 following my final season in the Southern Ontario Jr. "A" League as captain of the Sarnia Bees. I attended a five-day school for officials in late September of that year and was scouted and invited to attend the NHL Training Camp of Officials two days later. My knowledge of the game was gained as a player. I could skate well, understood the physicality of the game and the emotional levels that players and coaches feel. As a captain of most teams I played for I demonstrated respect for the Refs and some knowledge of the rules. Beyond that I knew nothing about being a referee. I was immediately thrust into the officiating ranks at the professional level and had to learn every aspect of the job; baptism under fire! I was forced to become a student of the game at a new and different level. Most importantly I very quickly recognized the need to learn more about myself. The job requires us as officials to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Each of us will bring certain strengths and weaknesses to the work place. While we rely on our strengths it is important to recognize our deficiencies; especially any character flaws that we all develop over time. These flaws most often surface and rear their ugly head when we are under pressure. I call them negative reflex reactions to stress. As an example, while toughness and over the top, in-your-face aggressiveness might serve someone well as a player but it would become a major obstacle as a referee during a confrontation. The role of the referee is not just to enforce the rules through good judgment but also about managing the emotional element of the game; to bring the temperature down when necessary. To do this effectively every referee must first manage and control his own emotional level when his feet are put to the fire. Doing so will allow for better decision making, to take control of aggressive situations and to develop positive working relationships with players and coaches build through mutual respect. Recognize how you respond when your authority is questioned, as will often be the case. When you speak to a player or coach, listen to yourself. Be a communicator and dont always take yourself so seriously. One particular night in Madison Square Garden a very frustrated Willie Plett of the Minnesota North Stars asked me if it was my "worst game of the season?" I responded, "No, they are all about this bad." My non-aggressive response redirected Willies focus in a positive way. If you have a chip on your shoulder recognize it and then remove it. Obviously the mechanics of our profession must be learned and constantly refined; knowledge of the rules, positioning, judgment and standard of enforcement and physical conditioning to name a few. The best advice I can offer you Ryan is to always remain a student of the game and of yourself. This will enable you to continually grow as a respected official and as a person. The game that you love will benefit and so will those around you. Its impossible to separate the person you are from the job you do! To develop and maximize personal skills every officials ongoing post-game homework assignment should be honest self-reflection. Even if a game goes well, time should be spent alone with your thoughts as to anything that could have been done differently to achieve a better result through your performance. Accept that human mistakes will be made but learn from them. After every game I recognized there were things that I knew I should have done differently. I filed them in the memory banks under the to-do list. From experience I attained judgment - from poor judgment I attained experience. Congratulations to young Referee Trent Knorr who worked the Leafs-Wild in his first NHL game. Vapormax Australia Cheap . Louis Cardinals. He was 48. The commissioners office said Bell died in his home state of Ohio. Bell had not been feeling well over the weekend and had been scheduled to see doctors later Monday at the Cleveland Clinic. Vapormax Shoes On Sale . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. http://www.australiavapormaxcheap.com/ . -- The Atlanta Braves added to their extensive wave of long-term deals with their young stars on Sunday by agreeing to a $42 million, four-year contract with All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel.Arizona Coyotes The team recalled defenseman Andrew Campbell and forward Jordan Martinook from Portland of the American Hockey League and assigned defenseman David Schlemko there. – Arizona Republic F Kyle Chipchura cleared waivers on Saturday. - TSN Buffalo Sabres Goalie Michal Neuvirth and right winger Drew Stafford will return to the lineup against the Panthers Saturday. - Team Twitter Detroit Red Wings Justin Abdelkader was back on the ice today at Joe Louis Arena. After missing the past two games with a shoulder injury, Abdelkader skated following practice, said he feels better and it was good to get back on the ice, but didnt offer a timetable for his return. – Detroit Free Press Florida Panthers Centre Dave Bolland hasnt played since injuring his groin in Buffalo on Oct. 17 but took part in Fridays full practice as he continues to work on his conditioning. Scottie Upshall (ankle) and Aleksander Barkov (hand) both skated Friday. – Miami Herald New Jersey Devils F Damien Brunner cleared waivers on Saturday. - TSN New York Islanders Travis Hamonic (upper body) went on injured reserve and Jack Capuano said neither Hamonic nor Johnnyy Boychuk, who has been on IR since Nov. Wholesale Nike Vapormax. 27, will be playing for a while here. The Islanders called up Ryan Pulock and the 20-year-old could make his NHL debut on Saturday. – Newsday Ottawa Senators Unless coach Paul MacLean makes a change, Jared Cowen is expected to sit out second consecutive game as a healthy scratch. Cowen was not in the regular rotation of defenceman at Fridays practice. – Ottawa Sun Pittsburgh Penguins Hornqvist did not practice with the Penguins on Friday at Southpointe, and the right wingers status is in doubt for Saturdays game. The Penguins on Friday put Hornqvist through a variety of concussion tests, the results of which werent immediately known. – Tribune Review Toronto Maple Leafs After a conditioning stint with AHL Marlies, Brandon Kozun has been activated and D Roman Polak (knee) has been placed on injured reserve. - Team Release Winnipeg Free Press Thanks to injuries to Zach Bogosian, Toby Enstrom and Grant Clitsome, the Jets will use Dustin Byfuglien on the point with Ben Chiarot while Jacob Trouba and Mark Stuart take on the responsibility of being the top pairing. – Winnipeg Free Press ' ' '