Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Josh Staumont Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, In the Boston-Buffalo game on Wednesday night in the second period, Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers slashes Bruins forward Brad Marchand and then punches him in the head! How and why does Marchand get the penalty, with no call on Myers? He then scores a go-ahead goal! My question would be - does a supervising official between periods give the refs the talking down a player would get from his coach? This call could cost a team two points on very questionable officiating! Thanks,Ken MacAskill Ken: Both you and broadcast analyst Joe Micheletti made the correct call on this play. At the very least the Bruins and Sabres should have been playing four men aside as a result of the altercation between Tyler Myers and Brad Marchand. In a perfect world, Myers deserved an extra minor penalty as the aggressor in this incident following his slash and punch at Marchand. You asked how and why, only Brad Marchand received the penalty on this play. The trailing referee is responsible for all players behind the Sabres blue line. As the Sabres went on the attack from their end zone, Marchand cut across the ice toward his bench for a line change and in doing so skated directly in front of Myers. The altercation began when Marchand dropped his hip toward Myers who responded with a cross-check shove, a slash by each player and then the Myers punch. At this point play was stopped to assess a penalty. The camera picked up the trailing referee with his arm raised and approaching the two players on an angle back from the neutral zone toward Tyler Myers and Brad Marchand. From the referees angle of return it is apparent to me that he had vacated the Sabres end zone prior to players clearing that zone and failed to recognize and observe the hot spot between Marchand and Myers. I dont believe the ref saw the start of the altercation but picked it up when Brad Marchand jammed his stick into Myers midsection. He therefore deemed Marchand to be the instigator of the scrum. The easy call should have been to penalize both players for their actions. Unfortunately that didnt take place and resulted in a Tyler Myers power-play goal. Officiating managers (supervisors) very seldom enter the officials room between periods unless something extremely serious has gone afoul. Instead, the manager will review his observations and game report with the officials at the conclusion of the game. In certain cases, depending upon travel schedules or a perceived need, a follow-up telephone call or even breakfast meeting might take place with an official. Typically though any instruction/coaching will take place in the officials dressing room after the game. There was a time when supervisors entered the room between periods but team management objected to this practice when they felt the officials approach to the game changed to drastically following between period instructions. I dont agree with this practice in principle, but whenever the conversation does take place the supervisors proper approach and coaching techniques are vital in advancing the officials learning curve. When I observe a Division I College game for my former colleague and referee-in-chief of the ECAC Paul Stewart, I always visit the officials room between periods; if for no other reason but to be supportive and available should they have any questions. My approach is always to be positive and point out the good things they did but also to make them aware of any potential hot spots that might develop in addition to any positioning issues I feel the need to address. The game can certainly look different from the press box or the television monitor than it does at ice level. In a flash from the past, when I first signed a contract with the NHL there was a different and much more aggressive approach taken by the supervisors of that day which could be very intimidating for an official; especially a young one. Team general managers were not fined for approaching the officials room and shouting matches often took place in the hall outside the refs room. Supervisors were subjected to angry rants from team personnel in the press box which could result in a between period visit to the officials room by a supervisor. I can tell you there were trash cans kicked around the officials room and rolled up programs thrown at the wall in some of these "coaching" sessions. As you can imagine they werent very productive from a teaching perspective but could have a profound effect on how the next period was officiated! In todays fast paced game the two referee two linesman system is mandatory. An influx of younger officials has been hired to the staff when the veterans retire. Enhanced coaching and mentoring techniques are required to quicken the learning curve that takes place in addition to holding all the officials accountable to the expected standard. This is a work in progress. Amos Otis Jersey . But its also a smart game. Theres more to the Kings than banging bodies. They take a toll mentally on their opponents. Denny Matthews Jersey . - The Minnesota Vikings have ruled Christian Ponder out for Sundays game at Baltimore, because the quarterback has not yet passed all of his post-concussion tests. https://www.cheaproyals.com/1477a-dennis-leonard-jersey-royals.html . Not that Durant cared. The only streak he cares about is still intact.NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez gets to start arguing his case Monday. In a hearing room before arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, lawyers for the New York Yankees third baseman will argue why the 211-game suspension imposed by Major League Baseball on Aug. 5 should be overturned. "Obviously this is going to be a grueling process all the way through," Rodriguez said. "This has been a burden. Its been a big burden. So lets get it on." A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez is fourth on the career home run list with 654. The Major League Baseball Players Association says the penalty imposed by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is excessive. Unless there is a settlement, a decision isnt expected until the winter. A veteran of baseball salary arbitration, the 64-year-old Horowitz took over as the sports grievance arbitrator in June 2012 from Shyam Das, fired a month earlier by management after almost 13 years. Das had overturned a 50-game suspension of Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun in February after the players association argued the urine sample was not handled properly. In Horowitzs only decision thus far, he upheld a 100-game suspension imposed last year on San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota for a second positive test. He has initially set aside Monday through Friday for the hearing, where each side can introduce evidence, present witnesses and cross-examine them. After the hearing days conclude, the sides will be given several weeks to submit final briefs. Horowitz will then take time to make his decision. While technically chairman of a three-person panel, Horowitz is the independent member joined by one representative of each side. Rodriguez has four law firms working for him, with team A-Rod including Joseph Tacopina of Tacopina Seigel & Turano (known for taking cases with a high media-profile); David Cornwell of Atlanta-based Gordon & Rees (who worked on Brauns case); Jordan Siev, co-head of the U.S. commercial litigation group at Reed Smith (a firm used by Rodriguez pal Jay-Z); and Bruce Simon of Cohen, Weiss & Simon (who represented MLB umpires in 1999). Earlier this year, Rodriguez retained and then terminated two other firms. Yet, for all the outside legal help, much of the case will be presented by 55-year-old David Prouty, a Harvard Law School graduate hired by the players association in 2008 from UNITE HERE, which represents employees in the hotel, gaming and food service industries. Prouty was promoted to MMLBPA general counsel in February, when union head Michael Weiner gave up that role a half-year after he made public he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Dan Quisenberry Jersey. Rob Manfred and Dan Halem, MLBs top labour lawyers, will direct managements case with assistance from Proskauer Rose, a law firm that represents several U.S. leagues. Rodriguez was suspended for his involvement with the now-closed Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables, Fla. The 13 other players penalized accepted their suspensions, which included a 65-game ban for Braun and 50-game penalties for the others. MLB said Rodriguezs was suspended under baseballs joint drug agreement "based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone over the course of multiple years." He also was disciplined under the collective bargaining agreement "for attempting to cover up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the office of the commissioners investigation." Rodriguez is being treated as a first offender under the drug program, which means any suspension doesnt start unless upheld by an arbitrator. Following hip surgery in January and a leg injury sustained during a minor league rehabilitation assignment in July, Rodriguez returned to the Yankees on the day he was suspended. The 38-year-old hit .244 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 44 games. "Im really looking forward to at least one full off-season of hardcore training," he said. "I havent had that in quite a long time -- then come back in tremendous shape and help this team win. This team has a lot of things to do over the winter. Obviously my situation is going to play a big part in it." A-Rod and New York squawked at each other in the summer, with Rodriguez maintaining the Yankees were trying to keep him from returning. The team denied the accusation. He is owed $86 million by the Yankees over the last four seasons of his record $275 million, 10-year contract. If he is suspended for the bulk of next season, the team has a chance to get under the luxury tax threshold of $189 million. But the length of any suspension will be decided by either Horowitz or in an agreement among Rodriguez, MLB and the union. "I will be there every day," Rodriguez said. "Im fighting for my life and my whole legacy." ' ' '