NHL Uses Amateur Officials as Regulars Strike in Protest

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. â€”  Amateur officials worked Game 4 of the Wales Conference finals Sunday night when the scheduled National Hockey League officials refused to work the game after the New Jersey Devils obtained a restraining order allowing suspended Jim Schoenfeld to coach the team against the Boston Bruins.

Referee Dave Newell and linesmen Gord Broseker and Ray Scapinello refused to take the ice even after William Wirtz, the chairman of the league’s board of governors, ordered them to.

The amateur officials--referee Paul McInnis and linesmen Vincent Goldeski and Jim Sullivan--finally took the ice at 8:45 p.m., an hour after the scheduled starting time. The game started after a 67-minute delay.

The NHL earlier Sunday had suspended Schoenfeld for Sunday night’s game for a run-in with referee Don Koharski following Friday night’s third game of the series.

The Devils were informed of the suspension early Sunday afternoon and they got Superior Court Judge James F. Madden to issue a temporary restraining order against the NHL barring the suspension, announcing it just before game time.

Both teams had been on the ice warming up and they left the surface as game time approached when no officials took the ice.

Devils spokesman Larry Brooks said the players’ union could not tell the players not to participate because the game was sanctioned by the Board of Governors.

McInnis worked the game in a standard official’s shirt but was wearing a pair of Devils’ sweat pants. Both Goldeski and Sullivan wore bright orange practice jerseys.

NHL supervisor of officials John McCauley was seated in one of the penalty boxes during the game, apparently to be of any assistance to the amateur officials, who serve the league as off-ice officials.

“NHL game officials scheduled to work tonight’s contest made a personal decision that they could not perform their duties given the circumstances of Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld assuming a position behind the New Jersey bench,� McCauley said in a statement issued just after the start of the game. “The officials were informed of their contractual obligations to work tonight’s game but they maintain their position.�

The Devils went into the game trailing the best-of-seven series 2-1.

“The New Jersey Devils cannot tolerate the injustice that has been done to Jim Schoenfeld and our organization,� Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello said. “We are owed the right of a hearing and appeal.�

Brian O’Neill, the NHL executive vice president, said his investigation of the incident was not finished and it was possible that Schoenfeld might face further penalties for his blowup with Koharski.

The incident happened moments after the Devils’ 6-1 loss in Game 3 on Friday night.

Schoenfeld waited for Koharski to leave the ice, approached him in a runway leading to the dressing rooms, and then got into a shouting match with the official. The two appeared to bump early in the confrontation and Koharski slipped, later claiming that Schoenfeld pushed him with two hands.

Schoenfeld denied that he pushed Koharski and said he has two television videotapes to support that contention.

NHL spokesman Gary Meagher said that O’Neill has not viewed those videotapes, but he has talked with both Schoenfeld and Koharski.

“In consideration of the undisputed facts at hand, it is the decision of the league that Coach Schoenfeld acted in a manner that was dishonorable and prejudicial to the welfare of the league and the game of hockey,� O’Neill said in a statement.

Schoenfeld had said on Saturday he would be shocked if he was suspended for the incident, saying he had seen a lot worse go unpunished during his career.

Lamoriello said the suspension did not follow traditional NHL guidelines because Schoenfeld was not granted a face-to-face meeting with O’Neill.