Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Jake Matthews Camo Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality.Did you think there was anything peculiar about this decision? Thanks,Ed Hi Ed: I am thrilled that NHL hockey is back and we can all adjust our watches back to the North American time zone! Initially, I was surprised by the expletive-deleted comments Peter Forsberg made the day before the Gold Medal game and following the IIHFs selection of four North American NHL officials to work the Canada-Sweden game. Even though the officials nationality and residency slanted exclusively toward Canadian soil, the timing of Forsbergs comments (the day before the puck was dropped) caused me to pause and consider the Swedish general managers motives. Ive seen plenty of "gamesmanship" from general managers and coaches during Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, but Peter Forsbergs public comments rank up near the top of the list in attempting to gain an advantage and competitive edge. Peter was not only a world class player but I also know him to be a very intense competitor. That being said, Peter is not a stupid man and made a calculated move in hopes of gaining some advantage for his players against a highly skilled Canadian team. I believe Peters comments were designed to put the IIHF on notice in the event he felt the need to complain post-game but most importantly to plant a seed in the head of each game official hoping his team might receive the benefit of the doubt when one could be offered. It also became a story the day before the game designed to deflect some of the pressure away from Team Sweden players. I dont believe that Peter Forsberg would honestly question the integrity and impartiality of the NHL Officials that were assigned to work the game. Kelly Sutherland, Brad Meir, Derek Amell and Greg Devorski were selected on the merit of their work during the Olympics and were regarded as the very best! They are professionals in the true sense of the word. The players have more confidence in the NHL officials ability than their International counterparts. Swedish team captain Niklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings believed that both teams would benefit from North American officials when he was quoted as saying, "We are used to having referees from USA and Canada in the NHL. We know their standards so I think its easier for us too if the referees are from there." And teammate Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators agreed. Prior to 1998, the IIHF would not assign an official to work a game in which his country of nationality was participating in. Only neutral officials were assigned. That changed in Nagano with the inclusion of NHL players and officials. The best officials were assigned to the games regardless of their country of nationality or residency. In response to Peter Forsbergs comments, IIHF officiating manager Konstantin Komisarov issued the following statement on the selection process; "The main factor of the selection of these officials has most of all to do with their experience officiating in high-level competitions. These include Stanley Cup playoffs, World Championship competitions and Olympic competitions. Their nationalities arent considered as factors nor should they be, we want the best officials working the medal games. We are fully confident that with their experience and professionalism these officials will do their job well and preserve the integrity of the game." Good for Konstantin Komissarov and the IIHF officiating committee for selecting the best officials to work the Gold Medal game. The officiating crew did an outstanding job and preserved the integrity of the game as Konstantin was confident they would. Last Sunday, the game was played on Olympic ice in Sochi and not in the media. Peter Forsbergs silver medal-winning Swedish team was beaten fair and square by Canada to take Gold. The officiating was a complete non-factor; regardless of county of nationality. NHL officials are clearly the best in the world. Deion Sanders Falcons Realtree Jersey . Donaldson, chasing a first career victory, shot a 6-under 65 to head the leaderboard at 14 under, one shot clear of Westwood with McIlroy a further stroke back in third. Prince Shembo Falcons Jersey . Canadian Lance Gibson is happy to oblige with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion some tough love.HAMILTON, Ont. -- If the Hamilton Tiger-Cats want to beat the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday night, theyll have to stop the run game. Specifically, they will have to stop Jon Cornish. Watch the Stampeders vs. Tiger-Cats live tonight at 6pm et/3pm pt on TSN and TSN Mobile TV. "What the run game allows them to do is obviously control the clock and keep your offence off the football field," said Ticat head coach Kent Austin on Friday. For the Ticats, Austin said that means being "more efficient" on first downs, and making sure they can sustain long drives. Otherwise, it may be a while before they get the ball back. While the Ticats under Henry Burris have a league-leading passing attack, throwing for 322.8 yards per game, its ground game is lacking. The Ticats have only rushed for an average 84.2 yards per game, second last in the CFL. The Ticat passing game will also face the challenge of operating without its leading receiver, Greg Ellingson, who is reportedly out with a lower-body injury. He will be replaced by rookie Luke Tasker, who was just signed on Sept. 17 and whose father is former Buffalo Bills pro-bowler Steve Tasker. Meanwhile, the Stamps have a more balanced attack, thanks largely to Cornish who is the CFLs second-leading rusher with 1,093 yards to date. Calgary is fifth in average passing yards (263 yards per game) and second in rushing (132 yards per game). Former Ticat Kevin Glenn is back as the starting quarterback for Calgary, in a season where the Stamps have had to rely on all three of its pivots. Glenn spent three years in Hamilton before being traded to Calgary in January 2012. But while Ticat linebacker Jamall Johnson agreed that he may know Glenns tendencies better than most, stopping Cornish is the priority. "First of all, weve got to stop the run," Johnson said. "I think everything they (Calgary) do revolvess around their running back and their running game. http://www.nflfalconsus.com/Elite-Jake-Matthews-Mens-Jersey-Atlanta-Falcons-70-Team-Alternate-Two-Tone-Nike-NFL-94.html. " Calgary (9-3) has already clinched a playoff berth and sits atop the West Division, one game ahead of B.C. and Saskatchewan heading into this week. They are coming off last weeks 33-27 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. Hamilton (6-6) is second in the East Division, behind Toronto, and is hoping to continue the momentum from a 28-26 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in Moncton. "Right now, just to get on a roll, I think thats the biggest psychological thing that could happen right now because you want to start to peak at the right time," said Burris, who spent a combined 10 years as the Stampeder quarterback before coming to Hamilton and currently leads the league with 3,765 passing yards. The two offences are evenly matched. Calgary is second in the CFL with an average of 377.2 yards per game and Hamilton is third with 375.3 yards per game. The defences are also close in numbers. Calgary is fourth in the league, having allowed 337.4 yards per game while the Hamilton defence is fifth with 359.3 yards allowed. But the Calgary defence also boasts a couple weapons of which Burris, in particular, will have to be aware. They have two of the leagues top-three sack leaders with Charleston Hughes (13) and Cordarro Law (nine), and Fred Bennett has three interceptions, tied for tops in the CFL. The Stamps and the Ticats met in Calgary on Sept. 13 with Calgary squeaking out a 26-22 victory when back-up quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell hit former Ticat receiver Marquay McDaniel for a 15-yard TD late in the fourth. Austin blames mistakes made late in the game that allowed the Stamps to come back. "We left the door open for them and good football teams will take advantage of that," he said. "Youve got to close off a good football team because they will find a way to win." ' ' '
