Are you a fan of hockey? Do you enjoy watching the NHL? Are you sick of how the refs make weak calls? Some of you might say no but if you're a die-hard hockey fan like me then the answer is probably yes. Now, I'm probably going to get a TON of hate for this article. Some might say "Oh, Ryan is just angry because the refs screw over the Flyers in games." Well yes I am but it's more than just that. The type of things I'm angry about are: Off-sides, Goalie Interference, Weak calls, and the "Coach"s Challenge." Like I honestly don't know what off-sides or goalie interference is anymore due to how weak the calls are. I'm about to breakdown how dumb the rules of the NHL have become the past few seasons. Sit back, grab some popcorn, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHSiVYCagH0enjoy the show.

Have you seen this? Watch this video and guess what happens after the play. Guess what? Crosby didn't get penalized for that slash. That's a two handed slash to the hand. Now read this tweet from TSN's Bruce Garrioch who is a broadcaster for the Ottawa Senators: https://twitter.com/SunGarrioch/status/845108983505604608. I'm sorry what? The refs didn't see the slash? Marc Methot was carrying the puck when he was slashed. What were the refs watching besides the play? I guess they are actually blind. Somebody go buy them some glasses.

That's only the half of the story. Sidney "Crybaby" Crosby, the golden boy of the NHL wasn't penalized on the play. He isn't even getting a suspension literally cutting of Methot's finger. Just listen to what Crosby has to say about the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhyOAasqdng. Really? That's all you have got to say about that? "I have had those before, they don't feel good." Why don't you apologize for cutting off the guys finger? Or maybe apologize to the Senators for injuring their Top 4 defensmen for weeks. This is absolutely absurd that it has become this bad, but wait there's more.

This just happened tonight (March 24th) while I was in the middle of writing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXStQJDHhm8. From my point of view and the commentators in the video, Chad Ruhwedel (#2) defiantly backed Alan Quine (#10) into Marc-Andre Fleury (#29). Now if a player (Ruhwedel) pushes his opponent (Quine) into his goaltender (Fleury) and the opponent's team scores, then it will count as a goal. That's a basic breakdown of how that rule works. The men up in Toronto where the NHL Head Office is located, their job is to review the plays. I think they need to hire some more people that know the rules. This brings me to my next point which is the "Coaches Challenge."

What even is the "Coach"s Challenge" at this point? At first it sounded like a great idea but it has turned into something completely awful. It has started to screw teams over especially when you add the refs weak calls to it. The only thing that coaches can challenge is off-sides and goalie interference. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Since they introduced the "Coach's Challenge", the calls for off-sides and G-interference have become more frequent and weak. The NHL need to get rid of it! It's starting to frustrate fans because they don't even know what's going to be called and what's not.

Coach's starting to challenge EVERY. SINGLE. GOAL. this season. It looks like little kids telling on each other to their mother. Here is an example. Let's use coaches Dave Hakstol and Jon Cooper as the kids, the refs as the mother, and the NHL in Toronto as the father trying to watch the game: "MOM! Jon scored on me and he was off-sides before he did it!" "Alright sweetie, I will go talk Dad and ask what he saw." "Hey honey, did you see what happened between the kids?" "Yeah. Um, i don't know. Just give one of them the goal."

Welcome to the NHL where it's just a typical everyday family. This league finds new ways to make me laugh everyday. I was at the Jets vs. Flyers game in Winnipeg a couple days ago. I swear the refs didn't know how to ref. I watched Sean Couturier take a weak penalty where his stick barley touched the guy. It was obviously embellishment and there was no call for it. This went on for two whole periods where I had to watch weak calls against the Flyers. Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsHtLD120aw. The ref watched Gudas hip-check Lessio but wait seconds after to call the hit. If its a penalty then call it right away. Don't take your time during play to figure out if it is penalty or not. I'm not mad about the hit because Gudas deserved to get a penalty for it. I'm mad that the ref took so long to call it.

The refs need to learn the rules again. They need to not be so blind and keep their eyes on the play. Where did these guys learn how to ref hockey games? Not all the refs were this bad. It's only ever since they introduced the "Coach's Challenge" and that the NHL keep changing rules every season. Simple solution to this: Get rid of the challenge and quit changing major rules every season. It's going to be a couple years before that happens though since they think it works perfectly fine.