Most NHL referees are incompetent

Like all fairy tales, once upon a time, we believed NHL referees and linesmen were the best in the world.

They could be proud of what they did and how they did it. That is clearly no longer the case. That is not to say a few of them aren’t still among the best, but the fraternity has become so incompetent that the good ones must surely now be ashamed to admit that they are part of it.

My hope is that instead of orange for the next Oilers home game some fans wear stripes and a paper bag over their head which is really what NHL officials should be wearing, or balaclavas so their incompetence or corrupt practice can go unidentified.

Having the Oilers continue in the playoffs is not good for TV ratings in Gary Bettman’s NHL. The Oilers are not just fighting the other team but they are up against the big money machine that is the NHL. James Smyth, Edmonton