Did you know that according to the NHL Rules (31.11) Should the Referees and Linesmen be unable to officiate the game and the League can not find suitable replacements, the Coaches/Managers of the teams can agree on who they appoint as Referee and Linesman.
If the Coaches/Managers of the teams can not agree, a player of the Home team will be appointed as referee while a player of the visiting team will be Linesman.
This is a pretty crazy rule! You may be called upon to referee your teammates and opponents with 0 experience in officiating games. The teams would likely pick 4th liners as well as to not weaken their team.
Could you imagine Brandon Prust and Shawn Thornton officiating a game between the Bruins and the Rangers? They’re more likely to fight each other than pay attention to what’s on the ice!
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