It’s often said that the best referees are those that you don’t even notice during a game. Sadly, though, some referees insert themselves into a game in one way or another. Whether it’s a vendetta against a certain player or simply a horrible call at a crucial time, referees draw the ire of fans everywhere.
Admittedly, deciding on the worst referees is very subjective, often fueled more by fan frustration than actual performance. Regardless, patterns do exist, and referees are judged accordingly.
Here are some of the worst referees in NHL history. Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below.
Justin St. Pierre
NHL players have quipped that St. Pierre is an incredibly arrogant person who treats most of the players like crap. The league has barely used him in playoff situations so maybe they realize that he’s one of the most hated in the business.
Stephane Auger
Auger had the reputation for letting personal vendettas affect his game calling which might be one of the worst things that anyone can say about a referee.
Kerry Fraser
Toronto Maple Leafs fans still hold a grudge against Fraser who failed to blow the whistle on Wayne Gretzky for high-sticking in overtime back in 1993.
Andy Van Hellemond
Van Hellemond is known for blowing big calls in the most critical of games. Quebec Nordiques fans are still livid about him disallowing Joe Sakic’s goal in the 1995 playoff loss to the New York Rangers.
Chris Lee
It makes you wonder when seasoned refs are not given key playoff series to work, but Lee rarely is called on to work in critical games which is a bad sign for his overall competence.
Tim Peel
Peel is well-known for an incident called the “hot mic” where he admitted to making a make-up call for one team after calling a penalty on the other team. This was such a disaster thatPeel was forced to retire after the scandal.
Dennis Morel
Denis Morel is still hated in Calgary for his actions in the 1990 playoff series against the LA Kings. In overtime of Game 6, the Flames scored a goal that crossed the line but was called off by Morel costing them the win.
Mick McGeough
A mark of a good referee is consistency, but McGeough was highly inconsistent calling tons of penalties one night and eating his whistle on other nights.
