Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Trent Murphy Bills Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, Been reading your column for bit now and I had a question on the Penguins vs. Panthers game over the weekend. Just wondering about the incident where Floridas Willie Mitchell swung Kris Letangs helmet at him in a fight and didnt receive any extra minutes for it? At the very least, he shouldve gotten an additional two minutes shouldnt he? Im surprised he didnt get tossed or get a 10-minute misconduct. Just wondering what your thoughts are. Thanks, Paul Larocque Paul: A five-minute match (Rule 21) should have been imposed on Willie Mitchell for swinging a helmet at the unprotected head of Kris Letang. The action by Mitchell was a clear attempt to injure his opponent. It was only through the distance of separation created by the intervention of the two linesmen that Mitchells attempt became a swing and a miss at Letangs head. Instead, the deliberate blow accidentally struck the Linesman in the shoulder or arm. A match is the most severe penalty in the book that a referee can impose. Beyond expulsion from the game and the five-minute penalty to the offending players team, a match penalty carries an immediate suspension until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue. In this case, no further action would have been imposed against Mitchell by the Player Safety Committee. If nothing else, a match penalty would have been the correct penalty assessment in the game by the officials. The referee closest to the Letang-Mitchell fight (and most responsible for observing this altercation) was preoccupied with the secondary dustup that was taking place near the net. From a position the ref assumed between the two altercations he attempted to verbally command players near the net to cease and desist while the Linesmen were involved elsewhere. In doing so, the ref turned his back on the main event and did not observe the helmet swing by Mitchell. The linesmen are allowed to report to the referee any infraction worthy of a match penalty. Derek Amell and Andy McElman, two excellent veteran linesmen, were wrestling in close quarters with Mitchell and Letang and most likely did not realize the full extent of Mitchells actions until they might have seen a replay of the incident. Swinging a helmet at a players head goes well beyond the normal and accepted conduct in a fight to attempt to inflict punishment on an opponent (use of fists). It is akin to Rule 51.3 which calls for a match penalty to be imposed against a goalkeeper who uses his blocker to punch an opponent in the head or face in an attempt to injure or to deliberately injure an opponent. Willie Mitchell was fortunate not to incur a match penalty - Kris Letang was perhaps most fortunate the swinging helmet did not catch him in the head. As we move into the Christmas break, I want to share a couple of similar situations where I imposed match penalties. When I signed my first NHL contract in 1973, I was sent to the Western League for the playoffs that season as part of my development. Maintaining control of games during that era was a difficult task for every referee. Bench clearing brawls often occurred and the violence associated with them could be scary. In the Western Conference Final, the New Westminster Bruins were battling the Calgary Centennials. The Bruins were a real tough team to work and had future NY Ranger captain Ron Greschner on defence recording 103 points and 170 penalty minutes that season. Reg Duncombe led the Bruins in penalty minutes with 369, but several other players followed just under the 200-minute mark. I worked every second game in the series, alternating with my friend and NHL colleague Charlie Banfield. The benches emptied in every game at least once and sometimes twice as was the case in one game I worked in the Calgary Corral. The second brawl started when the linesmen were engaged with two players and I saw big Harold Phillipoff (63-220 lbs) go after Danny Gare (59-175 lbs), the star player for Calgary and future 50-plus goal scorer with the Buffalo Sabres. I felt the need to quickly intervene to prevent what appeared to be a David versus Goliath matchup, given Phillipoffs huge advantage in size (Harold was selected in the first round of the 1976 NHL Draft; 10th overall by the Atlanta Flames). My adrenalin was pumping as I grabbed both players with a twisted grip to the front of their jerseys and proceeded to read Phillipoff the riot act. Big Harold was looking right through me and didnt respond to a word I said. I was able to contain the big guy only so long until I got arm weary. Phillipoff reached down and across me, unbuckled Gares helmet and yanked it off the Calgary players head by the chin strap. In one swift motion Phillipoff swung the helmet down below his waist and came right over the top with a hard swing at Gares head. The crazy thing is that Gares helmet landed right back on his head the exact same way it came off and in perfect position. At this point all I could do was let them have it and hope that Gare could handle himself. What an understatement as Danny Gare kicked the snot out of his bigger but younger opponent. Phillipoffs face was a bloody pulp and I assessed him a match penalty for attempting to injure Gare with the helmet swing. Another incident where a player was in the giving spirit occurred in a 1981 game at the Montreal Forum between the Habs and the Pittsburgh Penguins in late November. Montreal enforcer Chris Nilan and Penguins tough guy Paul Baxter were seated in the penalty box following dustup. In those days there was little or even no glass petition to separate players in the penalty box other than a table occupied by the game timekeeper and public address announcer. The pucks were kept cold in bucket of ice inside the Montreal penalty box. Knuckles reached into the bucket of pucks and fired a missile at Baxter. To the best of my best recollection the puck ricocheted off the side glass and clipped Baxter in the head but didnt cause any damage. A match penalty for attempt to injure resulted in a three-game suspension to my good friend Chris Nilan. Incidents of this nature, including the recent helmet swing by Willie Mitchell, move beyond a minor infraction. Instead, they must be regarded for what they are (an attempt to injure) and penalized appropriately with a match. Once the correct penalty is assessed on the ice it is then up to the Player Safety Committee to make a responsible determination if the act warrants a suspension. I wish everyone a very merry and blessed Christmas with family and friends. Cmon Ref will return on Dec. 29. Taron Johnson Bills Jersey . -- Jacksonville Jaguars rookie receiver Marqise Lee has agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth more than $5 million. Russell Bodine Bills Jersey .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night. http://www.authenticbillsfanatic.com/c-86-bills-josh-allen-jersey.aspx . For the Miami Heat, that was outstanding news. LeBron James scored the last of his 32 points on a layup that put Miami up for good with 11.What made the 85 Jays extra special was the relative dearth of mercenaries. The eventual 1992/1993 championship squads will always have a place in our memories and civic pride, but the teams were filled with free agent assassins. Those 1980s powder blue warriors claim a place a little deeper, a little less diminished by time, because we were emotionally invested in each players trajectory. A Toronto team hasnt been built that way in a long time.(*Authors Note: Before I cue the obvious comparison, let me state plainly for the record: I am a fan of the Toronto Basketball Club but I HATE THE NAME "RAPTORS". I will suppress my urge to call them by their eventual, rightful name — the Toronto Towers — just to avoid confusion. But understand, every time I type "Raptors", I die a little.)Even in the face of this linguistic predicament, these Raptors have won me over. They are thriving in a delightfully familiar manner, with a buoyant, tough-minded, youthful sense of potential. Like a devoted dog, thought lost for days, scratching at our doorstep impossibly, exhausted, muddied...could it be? Could these upstart Raptors be the generational descendants of the 1985 Jays?Lets ask the pertinent questions, get out the red pen, and assign the grades.Where in the teams history does the season fall?85 BLUE JAYS: A ripe scenario coupled a weary, winner-less town with a franchise still relatively fresh in its ninth season. Mired in expansion doldrums for its first half decade, in 1982, the Blue Jays began an ascent from seventh to sixth place (of a seven-team division). In 1983, it moved into 4th place, winning 89 games, a feat replicated in 1984. 1985 was something new. The club won 99 games (a .615 winning percentage) — more victories than the future World Series teams — and it would stand until today as the greatest record in team history. No Blue Jays, Raptors or Maple Leafs team has had a better winning percentage since the 1934/35 Leafs (30 wins in a 48-game season).14 RAPTORS: This particular comparison would have lined up better for the Wince (not a typo) Carter-era team, had it made good on its promise in 2001, during the teams sixth season. Now 19 years old, the Raptors arent so green. Still, Torontos weariness from being mired in a decades-long losing streak across all major team sports, engulfs the city as it did back then. Further compelling the argument for similarity, is the Raptors current 45-32 record (a .584 winning percentage), which is the best in franchise history.COMPARISON GRADE: C+How skilled and well-loved are the players, and how do they compare with the talent in the league?85 BLUE JAYS: No surprise the best regular season team in Blue Jays history was arguably the most talented. Stacked with classic Jays in their primes, which included starters Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key, emerging closer Tom Henke, the best young outfield in baseball in Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield, and eventually-iconic infielders Tony Fernandez and Ernie Whitt, each one was either raised through the system or had their first taste of big league success in Toronto. The city got to watch the talent grow. To that end, not a single player made a million dollars in 1985. All Star Jimmy Key made $131,000. Tom Henke would get votes for MVP...on a $60,000 stipend. The league competition was also first-rate — peep the opposing lineups — as the American League was on the upswing, with Kansas City poised to claim the ALs third consecutive title (the AL would win 8 of 11 going forward).14 RAPTORS: The competition is, uh, less fierce. Beyond the general talent deficit in todays NBA (a column Ill be publishing soon), the Raptors Eastern Conference is particularly woeful. Despite Miamis recent prosperity, the East has won only 5 of the past 15 titles, and will be sending at least one sub-.500 team to the big dance this year (and possibly two). In the West, Memphis could finish 50-32 and still miss the postseason.Putting aside the lesser competition, a different story emerges. Like those early Jays, the Raptors have players worth rallying around. Homegrown DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and Jonas "Wasaga" Valanciunas are legit NBA starters capturing the imaginations of wide-eyed fans. Kyle Lowry and Amir Johnson play the game hard and are easy to root for, as is the surprisingly deep bench. The teams burgeoning continuity is the key ingredient as it was with the Jays: fans getting to root as their local talent grows and matures and succeeds (Gallay derisively glares towards south Florida). Even with the team headed towards their greatest season yet, not a single Raptor is even making a modest ten million dollars a year. (A tumbleweed blows across the screen.)COMPARISON GRADE: C+How were the Leafs, arbiters of the citys sports fortunes, doing at the same time?85 BLUE JAYS: As the 1985 baseball season was kicking off, the NHL season was winding down. Mercifully. The Leafs would finish 20-52-8, the worst season in franchise history (before or since). No surprise. They hadnt posted a winning record in six years. Russ Courtnall, Al Iafrate, Gary Leeman and Steve Thomas were rookies whhich gave the team hope, and they would make the playoffs the following year. Custom Buffalo Bills Jerseys. . (In 1986, the Maple Leafs qualified by winning a shameful 25 of 80 games because 16 of 21 teams made the playoffs. Not making the playoffs was the NHL equivalent of being picked last in gym.)14 RAPTORS: Similarly, the past several years have not been kind. After a team record seven consecutive seasons outside the playoff ranks, the blue and white made the postseason last year — defying the advanced metrics — but look to be on the outside once again in 2014. There is hope for the future despite a tumultuous plunge in the final months. But hey, lets not nitpick too much, in both eras the Leafs werent in the playoffs, hadnt had much success in the preceding years, and no sober fan in the Big Smoke had any illusions that the Cup was changing downtown addresses soon.COMPARISON GRADE: BHow confident are fans in the coaching staff and front office?85 BLUE JAYS: Bobby Cox — a Hall of Famer as of July 27, 2014 — was the manager. He took a mediocre team in 1982 and turned it into the best team in the league. He had done it before in Atlanta. He would do it again in Atlanta. He would win Manager of the Year in 1985, and though his departure upset fans, he was offered a ton of money and the GM job he coveted. The 44-year old Cox and GM Pat Gillick — who would ultimately put together the talent for back to back World Series wins — were as savvy a tandem as the city had seen. Most importantly, they had our confidence.14 RAPTORS: 56-year old coach Dwane Casey grew up in Kentucky, just an eight hour drive from where Bobby Cox—okay, Im gonna stop. Direct comparisons wont work here. Casey did not arrive in Toronto with Coxs pedigree, though he also had one prior championship ring, as an assistant on the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. Hes made strides each season and the team is proudly a shadow of his no-nonsense, tough-minded attitude. The city likes him, the players trust him. He has a legitimate shot to duplicate Coxs feat and take home Coach of the Year (though my vote would narrowly go to Jeff Hornacek in Phoenix, because I do not understand how the Suns are doing what they are doing). Two more words to add to this section: Rudy Gay. General Manager Masai "Gillick" Ujiri, 2013s NBA Executive of the Year in Denver, has been masterful in his first season at the helm, as demonstrated by the Sacramento overhaul. History will unfurl each mans ultimate place, but the city is rallying around both, and both are succeeding. Most importantly, they have our confidence.COMPARISON GRADE: A-What was going on in Toronto during the season in question?85 BLUE JAYS: In the spring and summer of 1985, Torontonians were preparing for a mayoral election, still several months away. A longtime incumbent, who refused to celebrate the Gay Pride Parade, would be put to the test by a variety of challengers. Ultimately, reigning Mayor Art Eggleton would win out.14 RAPTORS: In the spring and summer of 2014, Torontonians are preparing for a mayoral election, still several months away. A longtime incumbent, who refuses to celebrate the Gay Pride Parade, is to be put to the test by a variety of challengers, assuming a second term wont conflict with his Jimmy Kimmel-related moonlighting. Same old, same old.COMPARISON GRADE: B+All right, pens down.Depending on how you weigh each category, the comparison works out to a solid "B". Not too bad, really. Going in, I didnt think the teams would match up this well.Of course, these grades are neither objective, nor properly weighted, nor were they subject to any advanced algorithmic, Nate Silver-style analyses, but moreover is the baseline, root-level difficulty. This sort of phenomenon doesnt come down to math. It is a familial connection between team and fans. It is emotional.With so many entertainment sources vying for our attentions, a city-wide swoon grows ever less likely. And unlike baseball, where only four teams in 1985 made the playoffs, basketball allows for 16 entrants, with more making the playoffs than getting left behind. Just making the playoffs or winning the division is not in the same stratum as the accomplishments of those 85 Jays, who were playing for a spot in the World Series. These Raptors — seriously we gotta change the name — are greyer in years, and owe us more success if they hope to be revered like Bell and Whitt and Gillick.To capture the ardent fans, the otherwise supportive moniker-loathers, and the bandwagoners alike, a deep playoff run will be necessary. Then maybe, Terrence Ross will grab the torch from George Bell. Maybe this team, despite already having a winning record, is more a version of the rarely-considered 1982 Jays, the ones who first showed promise.Maybe they are just something new.GALLAYS POLL #6How do you think the 2013/2014 Raptors stack up to the 1985 Blue Jays?(A) Theyve won me over, same as the Jays did.(B) I like where they are headed, but that 1985 team was special, yo.(C) Way too soon for a comparison, if ever.(D) Im not from Toronto. Could not care less. I have the Fireplace Channel on right now. Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '