L'Affaire Burrows

Funny how people are so ready to believe Alex Burrows, and so ready to assume Stephane Auger essentially cheated the Vancouver Canucks.

Come to think of it, funny how it's always the Canucks screaming outrage about something. Unless, of course, its a Vancouver fan shining a laser into the face of an opposing goalie. Then, in the words of Alain Vigneault, they're just "great fans."

They sure get unhinged in a hurry over hockey in Vancouver. Geez, years later, you can still get folks all up in a lather over the Bertuzzi-Moore incident, claiming Steve Moore deserved what he got and how he faked his injuries, etc.

Never much moderation out of B.C. when it comes to these things.

Just last summer, Canucks GM Mike Gillis accused the Leafs not once but twice of illegally meddling in Vancouver team business. The NHL essentially laughed and went on to other business.

Now Burrows and his accusations against Auger, which have many in Vancouver screaming that justice must be done, how this proves referees carry grudges and how Auger should be thrown out of the sport.

For starters, how do we know Burrows is telling the truth?

There's absolutely no corroboration of his story. What we do know is that he's a known dive artist and agitator who is more than happy to fake an injury or a foul if it draws a penalty against an opponent. He believes referees are there to buy into his various cons and acting jobs.

He's a pretty good hockey player, too. It's just that the nonsense sometimes overshadows the ability, just like his teammate, Ryan Kesler.

Auger? Solid, not spectacular ref. Not one of the NHL's best, but solid. To be honest, most nights I couldn't tell you who the referees are any more. It's just not a big factor to me.

The willingness of so many to accept Burrows' story, however, is just an extension of the way in which many adults feel when they go to the neighborhood rink and watch their kids play. So many constantly harp on referees and accuse them of deliberately falsifying calls to benefit one team or the other.

Let's face it. As a nation, we're a bunch of crybabies and referee baiters.

To many (say, Leaf broadcasts) the game is nothing more than a constant discussion of officiating calls, how they got it right or wrong or why they missed this or that. Always, there's an underlying message — Pat Quinn is the best at this — suggesting the men in the striped jerseys are somehow dishonest, unmanly and not to be trusted.

Hockey Night in Canada fostered this mentality for years, although it has improved slightly in this regard in recent times.

There's still an attitude in this country that the best officiated game is one in which referees don't make any calls at all but simply give the advantage to the lesser skilled players and the lowest common denominator.

I always want to ask those people what they think the refs are out there for. To break up fights, I guess. But not too quickly.

I don't know what Auger said to Burrows. But I don't believe Burrows, either, and I don't believe the integrity of the sport has been terribly compromised.

I do believe the Canucks are making a mountain out of a molehill. But then, they always do.

Comments

[Mike]

haha I never said you were a Leafs fan, although that would not surprise me. You are a fool and I cannot believe you are employed as a writer.

The reasoning you used to argue that you should not believe Burrows can also be used to argue that you should. After that, you just went on to bash Vancouver and it's fans.

All I see is an article by you complaining about a Vancouver organization and it's fans who complain. Now that is original.

[Habs fan]

Pretty good article, Vancouver has a long history of this sort of behaviour. They have a strange sense of entitlement without having ever won anything. Between Burrows, Luongo, Kesler, Ruutu and Cooke you have to wonder how or why they keep breeding this sort of culture, divers and whiners. Quite a legacy for the franchise.

Burrows, couldn't happen to a more deserving individual. Burrows seems to forget that it is his diving and whining which led to this point, not Auger.

[John R]

Burrows story makes sense. Did you see the diving and interference penalties? They were ridiculous. Would they have been called against Daniel Sedin or Steve Sullivan? Funny how the penalties were called in a 2-2 game in the third period against the same player that he happened to be having a conversation with at the beginning of the game?

[Dan]

Typical canucks fan comments. Whine and moan about being treated poorly by the officials but reap the benefits when one is foolish enough to buy the diving by Burrows, Kesler, Luongo ect.

[Max]

WOW. Damien just lost what little credibility he had by writing this article. Written from a Leafs fan perspective, we should not be surprised at the audacity and ignorant language found in the article. Except that this is written by a "professional." $20 says you never even saw this game, Cox. It must be nice living in Toronto and cheering for a team with no divers, eh? The players are led by the classiest of them all, Brian Burke. Posting videos that have him claiming Canucks GM Mike Gillis was trying to get rid of Burrows and Bieksa and saying that he would love to have the Sedins on his team is no big deal, right? Of course this was swept under the rug by the league. THAT'S THE PROBLEM, Cox. Could you imagine how upset you pathetic Leaf lovers would be if another GM did something like this Brian Burke? Cox, you would be scratching your big bald head so hard you wouldn't know what to write. I especially loved the conclusion to your article: "I do believe the Canucks are making a mountain out of a molehill. But then, they always do." This was your only successful attempt at humor in the whole thing. It was brilliant how this came from a Leafs fan. A Leafs fan is so desperate for a good hockey story (we can forgive you, there really is nothing to write about in Toronto) that he has to write about the goings on of other NHL teams. Oh Cox. You crack me up. What else is in that shiny head of yours?

[SS]

I'm unclear about the link between these sentences:

"Come to think of it, funny how it's always the Canucks screaming outrage about something. Unless, of course, its a Vancouver fan shining a laser into the face of an opposing goalie. Then, in the words of Alain Vigneault, they're just "great fans.""

Was Vigneault supposed to claim all Vancouver fans are not great based on the actions of one idiot? Did he state that the guy with the laser pointer was a great fan? What purpose does this have in your "article?" And why bring Kesler into this? How did that help further your argument?

[Alan Collins]

Excellent article Damien! Finally someone putting aside the hysterics and dealing with the facts of this story.

Burrows is to hockey what divers are to soccer - cheats. You constantly hear Canadians deride the wonderful sport of football (soccer) because of the diving, yet many of these people are supporting Burrows. Try to be consistent and honest if you want to be taken seriously. As for Damien Cox, he's one of the few sportswriters that I bother to read. He always has a refreshing, unique and honest appraisal of what is going on. Keep up the good work.

[Robert]

burke did interfere with canucks business and wilson did openly talk about signing the Sedins before July 1. There is video evidence on both accounts and for you to dismiss it as a reporter is a bit worrisome but I guess it had no effect on your team so why not. To name players that may in fact be offered in a trade by anouther team is unproffesional at best. Perhaps you did not see the calls especially the second one on Burrows which is inexcusable and at best offers you proof of a ref in over his head making bad judgement calls. the Canucks organiztion should be ashamed about the lazer pointer incident but is right about Burke who by the way is a hack get ready for Boston to get a top 3 pick this year and next. Burrows is also right about this even if the refs statments are exsadurated clearly he influeced the outcome of this game on poor calls that included a player he had history with. But I guess writting anything more than mindless dribble would be outside your comfort zone. I also think trying to investigate this and perhaps any truths would be to much like work.

[peacemaker]

Okay let face reality about this situation first I can't see anyone believing the ref actually said what Burrows claims. Did you watch when the were skating around the ice Auger was talking to Burrows there was no reaction from Burrows any normal person would or should have gone right to his coach and complained right away.Almost all the people that have talked or given an opnion about this and I am talking about refs and former players have never incountered this before at any level so it should have come as a shock to Burrows . Bad calls get made refs are only human it happens in all sports get off the refs and suck it up there is no conspiracy here

[Marc]

Man, you are an embarrassment to sports journalism altogether. In fact an embarrassment to even your low place leafs. I guess leaf Journalists don't know the meaning of being a member of playoff team knows the value of points

[Carol]

LOL, Typical dis-gruntled jealous Tarranna journalist (I use the word journalist loosely) Oh what it must be like to live and work in a place like TO, poor ol' bugger. You have no clue, you just spew out words to get reactions. Trashing Burrows is bad enough, then you pick and choose words making AV sound like he called the goof with the lazer a good fan. That's pathetic, I wish you guys had to pass a morality and truth exam before you're allowed to print the trash you do. But then you would be picking up pop cans outside the Air Canada Center wouldn't you?

[chris]

This guy nailed it right on the head:

Your article is useless as you're clearly biased, and you offered absolutely nothing to move this story along or shed light on what actually happened (or didn't happen). You have no reason to not believe what Burrows said other than that you don't like his style of play or him or the team or their fans. I'm not a Vancouver fan and don't know much of Burrows. But the level of the accusation makes me think he's not stupid enough to say it unless it were true because it is very serious. You're what gives bloggers a bad name - no substance, no additional reporting or research, just slinging mud.

Posted by: adam | January 13, 2010 at 10:59 AM

[GS]

Absolutely horrendous article. GM Place is sold out every night and has been for years with passionate fans yet due to one isolated incident "the green laser", that kipper admitted didn't bother him, was condemned by the Canucks and they apologized for it. I went to a leafs game once and a middle aged Leafs fan punched a teenaged Sabres fan. Does this mean all Leafs fan are abusers? Of course not. Grow up Damien.

[Tim]

"Auger? Solid, not spectacular ref. Not one of the NHL's best, but solid. To be honest, most nights I couldn't tell you who the referees are any more. It's just not a big factor to me."

So to clarify, you don't pay attention or know which ref is which, but are confident in writing a piece declaring him to be "solid" but "not spectacular"? Based on what? Apparently, your strong desire to say nasty things about people in Vancouver. Nice.

Also, taking Vignault's comment about "great fans" out of context to make it sound like he was supporting the use of the green lazer is so far out of the realm of respectable, professional journalism that it's mind-boggling, that's the kind of crap you'd expect out of Rush Limbaugh or Anne Coulter, is that you Damien? Are you the new Rush Limbaugh of hockey journalism?

[GS]

Burrows should have definitely followed the path and told the coach and GM first. Then it would have been dealt with exactly the way the NHL dealt with the tampering charges. Absolutely nothing would have been done! The fact that they "laughed" at the tampering charges is the only good point you made, unfortunately you didn't realize what you were implying when stating it. Is there any room left under the rug?

[Brendan]

To assume Burrows is lying because he has embellished penalties in the past is a bit of a leap, is it not? Why shouldn't we believe him? There is really no evidence to suggest otherwise. It is not as if Auger has come out and denied that he made those statements. In contrast, there is circumstantial evidence that shows Auger talking to him pre-game and clear documented evidence of one borderline penalty (the dive, which should have been holding the stick) and one non-existent penalty (the interference call). Not to mention the 10 minute game misconduct assessed at the end of the game! So, again I ask: why shouldn't we believe Burrows?

Also, I find your treatment of the Vancouver Canucks organization and their fans to be both petty and inaccurate. While I'm neither a Canucks fan, nor a resident of Vancouver, I am someone who thinks its ignorant for journalists to make such sweeping generalizations as "never much moderation out of B.C. when it comes to these things." Honestly, The Star should be embarrassed.

[howie]

I just finished listening to your radio interview in Vancouver. You came across as cranky, ill-informed and opinionated. In the past, I always respected your insight. You took a pretty hard stand....based on your personal biases (against Vancouver and the Vancouver Canucks) and did not take the time to do the research necessary to come to a conclusion. You slammed Vignault for his sarcastic, off-the-cough remarks about the laser incident. You did not take the time to research the indignation of the incident that came from within the Canucks organization. You just assumed the worst...and drew your conclusion accordingly. That has me questioning your work habits and your professionalism. Frankly, I thought you were much better than your buddies on the over the hill gang that invades our television screens on Sunday mornings. No more.

[Norm Tindall]

You're really not a very competent sportswriter are you? As someone above noted I really doubt if you watched the Vancouver game, it would have been past your bedtime back in the center of the universe. I've been playing and watching hockey for over 40 years and I've never seen such an obvious fix in my life. Even without Burrow's postgame comments I was sitting there thinking something's going on here. You see a lot of badly officiated games especially the last few years but NOBODY could be that bad without trying to be. And then for Colin Campbell to just sweep it under the rug again same as always is just plain gutless..I've seen you on TV a few times and thought you were a decent sports guy, but for you to write this nonsense without doing any research or knowing anything of which you speak just reeks of incompetence.I won't waste time listening to anything you have to say again.

[Kelley]

i hope the canucks "make a mountain out of a molehill" when they go after you for misquoting vigneault when you talked about the laser incident and quoting him as responding to this by saying they're just "great fans". He did not say that in response to the laser incident.

[ben]

Did you even watch the game? Are you even looking over all the evidence that is in Burrows favor?

1. The Pregame Talk - theres no reason for the ref to be doing that and alot of you
missed the part where you can see Dan Murphy(Canucks
sportscaster) talking on the ice YOU SEE BURROWS
skating back towards Auger and Auger skated away from
him. Why would Burrows skate back? Because of what
Auger had just told him.

2. Not be allowed to skate on the ice during the TV timeouts
- how has no major network EVEN MENTIONED this. Auger
did not ALLOW Burrows to even skate on the ice during the
tv timeouts.

3. The Penalties.
- No ref would call that "diving" penalty and even worse was
the interference call. BOTH were called by Auger and BOTH
incidents Auger was the only one that thought it was a
penalty

4. Closing Of the Game
- When Burrows finally told him how he felt Auger threw him
out. Auger supposedly told Burrows if he opens his mouth
he'd be ejected. Burrows thought there was still a chance for the Canucks to win up until 4 seconds left then he said
what was on his mind and got ejected.

5. Post Game
- Why did Auger not say anything
- Burrows knew the consequences of speaking that way after
the game but still did it because of what happend on the ice

And to you Damien Cox? Never heard of you but i've seen you on tv before. Its sad that you automatically take the refs side. People like YOU are the reason why this game is tainted. You just like Bettman are quick to sweep issues under the rug. Thats not from a "crybaby fan" that's coming from a hockey fan.

This is the only article of yours that I've read and I hope its the last. You shouldn't even be able to right. You are a biased writer and I doubt that you'll even see this but you're A COMPLETE JOKE

[Scott in Vancouver]

You honestly think an official's ego should decide the outcome of an NHL game? Who cares what Burrows or anybody else got away with in the past? Auger gets paid good money to make calls based on what he sees. If he's incompetent enough to be fooled that often, screw him. I hate diving, but there's a penalty in place for it already, and it doesn't involve carrying a grudge into a future game.

Why should you believe Burrows? Open your eyes, the answer's right in front of you, leaves fan.

[BC]

Wow I honestly laughed out loud when I read this joke of an article. Burrows is a top line player, not a third or fourth line goon out there to stir the pot or draw a penalty. And to say Auger is a "solid ref" when you yourself admit that "most nights I couldn't tell you who the referees are any more", calls in to question your ability to even recognize a quality referee.

[DamienCox]

Damien here. . .not to interrupt all you Canuck fans in the middle of your repetitive rants, but just so you know, Auger was not the official who blew the whistle on Shane Doan for allegedly making anti-francophone remarks. That was the linesman. Once reported, Auger had to deliver the penalty. But don't let that slow down your tirades.

[t]

damien cox your wrong as usual about the laser i think the majority of canucks fans found that unclassy

[Jason]

Burrows is a diver? From a guy who used to cover Darcy Tucker? Really?

A compotent journalist would have looked into Auger's record of incompetence:

1) When he was reffing junior hockey, as an NHL trainee, There was an article about him titled "Rude, snooty ref inexcusable" by Pat Connolly in the Daily News, published in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Oct 25, 1998 pg. 89.

2) He has been ripped publicly by classy guys who are legends in this game including Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman.

3) He is known for making calls to decide games.

4) He was disciplined once by the NHL for a non-call on Mats Sundin.

5) During a December 2005 game between the Coyotes and Canadiens in Montreal, Auger handed Doan a 10-minute misconduct penalty after concluding the Phoenix forward had verbally abused an official and made culturally insensitive comments against the referees. Both referees and both linesmen for the game were French-Canadians. The league conducted an investigation and found the allegations against Doan to be baseless.

Let's look at his history shall we?

"It was a bad night for both the Detroit Red Wings and the officials Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena.

The Wings did their part with a generally tepid effort while referees Stephane Auger and Dennis LaRue blew a call that would have given the Wings a 2-2 tie 61/2 minutes into the third period.

However, Loui Eriksson got the officials somewhat off the hook with a third-period power-play to give the Dallas Stars a 3-1 victory.

The Wings weren't as fortunate for their part in defeat."
-Disallowed goal handcuffs Red Wings against Stars; Zetterberg nets ninth goal of season, Dallas 3 Detroit 1
Dave Waddell. The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ont.: Nov 19, 2009. pg. D.2

"They dominated the Canadiens at even-strength and should have seized the game with their power play, but Halak was excellent, the Canuck power play was awful and the officiating -- especially by Stephane Auger, who cemented his reputation as hockey's worst referee -- got in the way.

Winger Alex Burrows was evicted by Auger in the second period with a cross-checking major and game misconduct for bringing his hands and stick up to brace for a collision with Montreal defenceman Patrice Brisebois.

"I thought at first he 1/8Brisebois 3/8 was getting the penalty," Burrows said.

Auger and partner Kerry Fraser allowed Canadien Saku Koivu to sweep out the feet of Canuck defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who was trying to chase down Tomas Plekanec on a breakaway that put Montreal ahead 1-0.

And nobody seemed to notice there were eight Canadiens on the ice for what threatened to become a line brawl early in the game."

-Power failure back east; Montreal beats Vancouver for the first time in almost a decade
Iain MacIntyre. The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C.: Feb 25, 2009. pg. C.1

"The Coyotes were furious with referees Stephane Auger and Dennis LaRue after a late penalty led to Nick Lidstrom's power-play goal with 39 seconds remaining giving the Detroit Red Wings a 5-4 win at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday.

"It was an absolute joke," said Coyotes defenceman Ed Jovanovski, who had a goal and an assist. "Forty-five seconds left in the game. The guys are battling for the puck.

"There were two penalties missed before that in the corner. He calls that? It's embarrassing.

"We're fighting for our lives here. That's a big point for us."

It was a particularly bitter pill for the Coyotes to swallow after they rallied from a 4-2 deficit with just less than 13 minutes to play.

"It's a tough loss and a tough way to lose," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "It was a penalty. I wasn't debating that. I really felt there were three hooks on our guys before that.

"If we're going to let things go in the last two minutes, then let them all go."

-No time for joking around; Red Wings 5 Coyotes 4. Phoenix upset over late penalty call, goal
Anonymous. The Province. Vancouver, B.C.: Feb 5, 2009. p. A.56

Columbus' Hitchcock was so angry after a 5-4 shootout loss in St. Louis on Wednesday that he refused to meet the media after the game. He was afraid he'd get fined for ripping referees Marc Joanette and Stephane Auger. Turns out he made the right financial choice. He got fined $1,000 U.S. by the league for not talking to the media. He would have got a $10,000 U.S. fine for criticizing the referees.
-Trade winds may blow Lalime out of Windy City; [Final Edition]
Allen Panzeri. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Feb 25, 2007. pg. D.2

"It started to the side of the Boston net with the Canadiens on a power play late in the first period. Bruins defenceman Andrew Alberts stuck out a knee in what appeared to be a pretty blatant attempt to take out the knee of Canadiens winger Michael Ryder.

Ryder was flipped to the ice 10 feet from referee Don VanMassenhoven, but neither he nor his partner Stephane Auger made the call.

It was perhaps not as bad as the knee-on-knee hit Darcy Tucker laid on Buffalo's Jochen Hecht Monday night in Toronto. Tucker's vicious hit drew no penalty and no league suspension yesterday despite the rant from Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff after the game. The league even agreed that Tucker had tried to elbow Hecht in the head on the same play and still issued no suspension.

Ryder was not injured and was named the game's first star after scoring his 29th goal and setting up Chris Higgins for another with a pretty pass from behind the net."
-Souray comes to rescue as refs miss boat; [Final Edition]
JACK TODD. The Gazette. Montreal, Que.: Apr 5, 2006. pg. C.1.BRE

"Atlanta 4-3 and the Pittsburgh net empty, Marian Hossa had a breakaway in the offensive zone. He was hooked to the ice by Penguins forward Michel Ouellet, which should have resulted in an automatic goal.

Instead, referees Stephane Auger and Dan O'Rourke assessed a minor penalty on Ouellet and called for a faceoff in the Penguins' zone with 1.6 seconds left. The league admitted an error had been made."
-Perreault on fire with Nashville; [Final Edition]
RED FISHER. The Gazette. Montreal, Que.: Jan 14, 2006. pg. C.3

"The New York Islanders don't just suspect they were jobbed by the officials.

They got it right from the zebra's mouth.

Brent Sopel's apparent tying goal with 1.1 seconds left in regulation on Tuesday night was disallowed after a video replay, and the Islanders lost 4-3 to visiting Philadelphia.

According to the irate Isles, referee Stephane Auger admitted he blew the call.

"The puck went in," captain Alexei Yashin told The New York Times. "Even (Auger) admitted it went in. He basically said he blew the whistle right before the puck went in. That's why they disallowed the goal."

Coach Steve Stirling got the same story from Auger after the game.

"I didn't have the heart to say to him why did he waste all that time going up top if he had blown the whistle and made the final decision?" Stirling said."

-Around the Rinks; [Final Edition 1]
Compiled by Todd Kimberley. Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alta.: Dec 1, 2005. pg. F.4

"That was the first of eight straight minors doled out to the visitors in the first period alone.

That's right -- eight to Chicago, none to Calgary.

Penalties arrived at a truly comical rate, not that referees Stephane Auger and Mike Hasenfratz were going out of their way to punish the white-clad guests. It just worked out that way, over and over again -- 4:27, 6:33, 7:28, 8:48, 9:42, 12:03, 17:50, 19:02 . . . and then 1:08 of the second period.

But even with more than three minutes of five-on-three time, the Flames couldn't finish off the visitors.

"Look at the first period -- you can go to that right off the bat," said Ference, who clanked the post on one power-play attack. "You get five-on-threes for half a period . . . that could have been a big boost for us to really take control of the game, to pot the goals, to take full advantage of our opportunities."

-Eight and out: Flames felled in bid for ninth straight win; [Final Edition 1]
Scott Cruickshank. Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alta.: Nov 19, 2005. pg. E.1.Fro

"The Canadiens got lucky late in the middle period when Teemu Selanne missed a chance for a breakaway when he collided with referee Stephane Auger while leaving the penalty box, sending both men sprawling."
-Habs bury Avalanche; Montreal wins for 10th time in last 12 games Red-hot Kiprusoff helps Calgary stop streaking Wings; [ONT Edition]
Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Mar 17, 2004. pg. C.08

"VanHellemond admits that his officials were confused on the ice immediately after the Sundin stick-throwing incident. Referees Stephane Auger and Craig Spada were unsure of which penalty to call, and veteran linesman Scott Driscoll had yet another idea. In the end, no penalty was assessed, forcing the NHL's chief disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, into the picture. After a telephone conference the next day, Sundin was handed a one-game suspension by Campbell. "Obviously, there was a brain cramp on which penalty to call, so [the officials] had to step up to the pay window," said VanHellemond about internal fines he issued. "I mean, that's the job- description. The referees absolutely must know the rules and how to apply them."
-NHL officials face scrutiny, boss assures:; [Toronto Edition]
Howard Berger. National Post. Don Mills, Ont.: Jan 17, 2004. pg. S.4

"Referees Stephane Auger and Dave Jackson were soundly booed by the Corel Centre crowd when they skated onto the ice for the third period in the wake of a flurry of questionable calls against both teams late in the second. Auger fell as he skated backward early in the third, drawing a big cheer. "
-All Islanders followed by all Senators (AP), USA TODAY 1/16/2004

"All the whistles from Kevin Pollock and Stephane Auger ? five power plays and a penalty shot in the first 22 minutes ?"
-You have to expect first playoff game to be grind, Detroit News - Apr 8, 2004

"Florida had seven power plays in the contest compared with two for Boston and Sullivan clearly wasn't happy with the job done by referees Stephane Auger and Paul Devorski. "I don't know what's a penalty anymore, to be honest with you," said Sullivan. "I don't know what's a penalty and what isn't."
-Box seats costly, By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Boston Globe | January 25, 2004

"Neither Dan Marouelli, who made the call, nor partner Stephane Auger saw it correctly. Hitchcock was livid when the scoreboard clearly showed (an infraction)
-Flyers let point slip away as Stars rally to earn tie
Philadelphia Inquirer Mar 12, 2004

"The striped tandem of Stephane Auger and Jay Sharrers had handed the host Blue Jackets a whopping 23:44 of power-play time, which, amazingly, Sutter's boys managed to kill en route to a 2-1 triumph.

But even with the two points safely deposited into the bank, Sutter was not happy. He still cannot believe his peepers -- 13 power plays, including three separate five-on-threes, given to one squad in one night.

The display was nothing he'd ever seen before in his National Hockey League experience.

"In 24 years, never once. Not once. Ever," groused Sutter. "I tried to find some of them between periods. Couldn't. Dean (McAmmond) came in between the first and second period to find his . . . he didn't even know what he did."

-Young zebras rile Sutter; [Final Edition]
Scott Cruickshank. Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alta.: Dec 21, 2003. pg. B.5

"The Senators took full advantage of a whistle-happy display by referees Stephane Auger and Marc Joannette, exploding for a club- record five power-play goals in a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Winger Marian Hossa, returning to the lineup after missing one game because of an injured left foot, led the Senators with two goals and two assists. Radek Bonk, Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden also scored with the man advantage against shell-shocked Blue Jackets goaltender Fred Brathwaite.

The non-stop parade to the penalty box -- the Senators had 12 power-play chances, the Blue Jackets had nine -- was a rare sight in the modern-day National Hockey League, and the Senators didn't let the opportunity slip away.

"We had so many power plays, it seemed like we had a practice," said Hossa, who has a team-leading nine goals."
-Senators turn Jackets inside out:; [Final Edition]
Ken Warren. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Nov 14, 2003. pg. B.1.Fro

"So let's see. The losing coach doesn't like the officiating. The winning GM isn't crazy about it. Is this a case of would you like some cheese with that whine. Or could it be the officiating has been all over the map since the playoffs started, players and fans are in a state of confusion because they don't know what's being called from night to night and the NHL has no concept of what its marquee event should look like.

Yes, upon further review, that's the case. It would also explain why no one seems to be happy with the officiating this playoff season.

"I'm not going to get into it any further," Burke answered when pressed.

He didn't have to. If you've been paying attention, you've seen it, too.

Tuesday, veteran referee Don Koharski and neophyte Stephane Auger confused an already awful game with a series of calls that defied common sense. OK, maybe they were concerned the mayhem at the end of Game 2 would carry over to Game 3. As if. Or maybe, because the game was on ESPN, they wanted to demonstrate to their bosses in New York and Toronto they had things firmly under control.

But the fact the calls were horse poop for both teams is no longer an adequate defence for horse-poop officiating. Too many times in these playoffs, the referees have been the No. 1 topic of the post-game discussion. It's becoming an embarrassment to the league.

This isn't about one team getting jobbed or one team getting an unfair advantage. It's about standards and consistency and a feel for the game. In Game 3, Bertuzzi was penalized for slashing goalie Dwayne Roloson in what amounted to a phantom call. In the third period, the Wild's Matt Johnson was penalized for essentially throwing a body check."
-Canucks, Wild have reason to whine; [Final Edition]
Ed Willes. Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alta.: May 1, 2003. pg. E.4

"ST. LOUIS -- "Do You Bleed Blue?"

That was the Savvis Center scoreboard query Monday in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series. There should have been a second question flashed to the Vancouver Canucks bench:

"Are You Seeing Red?"

On a night where the standard of officiating left everyone dazed and confused, it was one of many missed calls by the tandem of veteran Don Koharski and Stephane Auger that led to the deciding goal as the St. Louis Blues hung on for a 3-1 victory to take a 2-1 lead lead in the best-of-seven series.

With Keith Tkachuk setting a perfect power-play pick on Murray Baron to the left of goaltender Dan Cloutier, centre Doug Weight simply walked out of the corner and snapped a low stick-side shot home to give the Blues a two-goal cushion midway through the second period.

And when the television camera panned to Canucks coach Marc Crawford, he dropped an F-bomb.

"That's a ---ing joke," screamed Crawford.

He was right.

The Canucks were no angels either, but both teams learned early and often what kind of night it was going to be. Interpretations of interference, tripping and high-sticking left much to be desired. But when Chris Pronger was allowed to hang all over the back of Todd Bertuzzi late in the opening period -- actually tugging on the winger's sweater in front of the officials -- the frustration level understandably grew.

Eleven minors were assessed in the opening period alone, six to the Canucks and five to the Blues."

-Dazed and confused; [Final Edition]
Ben Kuzma. The Province. Vancouver, B.C.: Apr 15, 2003. pg. A.62

"Another dubious call by junior ref Stephane Auger, holding against Canuck Henrik Sedin at 17:54, essentially ended it."
-Big trouble in river city:; [FINAL C Edition 1]
Iain MacIntyre. The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, B.C.: Apr 15, 2003. pg. E.1.Fro

"Before it was over, [Glen Sather] and Senators coach Jacques Martin were both screaming at referees Stephane Auger and Mark Faucette. At one point, the Rangers received six consecutive penalties. Later, the Senators received five in a row."
-White powers Senators past Rangers: Senators 5, Rangers 3; [EARLY Edition 1]
Ken Warren. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Feb 6, 2003. pg. B.1.Fro

""Eleven power plays (10 actually, with one penalty an off- setting situation) is pretty ridiculous."

Aucoin said: "The P.K. guys get tired and everybody else gets cold. One ref (Terry Gregson) wasn't calling anything and the other guy (Stephane Auger) was calling everything."
-Penalties prove Isles' undoing; [Final Edition]
Wayne Scanlan. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Dec 1, 2002. pg. B.1.Fro

"The Kings were furious that Andy Sutton got zip for his hit that put Jason Allison out two months with a damaged right knee.

"They (refs Ian Walsh and Stephane Auger, not exactly your A- team) said it was a shoulder hit," said an incredulous coach Andy Murray.

The much-injured Adam Deadmarsh is on the shelf in L.A. with a badly sprained right wrist. At first, X-rays showed a break, but it was an old one."
-Jim Matheson's Hockey World; [Final Edition]
Jim Matheson. Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: Nov 3, 2002. pg. C.3

"The Devils were annoyed with some penalty calls by referees Stephane Auger and Don Koharski, particularly the goaltender interference call against Valeri Kamensky in the overtime.

"I didn't touch anybody," Kamensky said.

"We deserved more than a point," White said. "You hate to blame it on stuff, but if you are a fan who knows hockey, it's a little outrageous out there."

-Vancouver jumps into tie for playoff spot
Tom Canavan. The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont.: Mar 18, 2002. pg. S.2

"The Oilers rallied a few minutes after Todd Marchant returned after his face was plowed into the glass on a hit from behind by Bob Eastwood early in the third. No penalty, but Marchant was down for about three minutes and got a nasty cut under his left eye.

Somehow, neither ref Dave Jackson nor Stephane Auger thought it was a boarding call but they also let Pavol Demitra off with a trip on Jason Smith in the second, when he stuck his leg out and could have been tossed."
-Comrie answers desperate call: Oilers centre saves the day once again, but team still in 10th: OILERS 1 BLUES 1; [Early Edition 1]
Jim Matheson, Journal Hockey Writer. Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: Mar 3, 2002. pg. C.1.FRO

- WHO STARTED IT? Referees Stephane Auger and Stephen Walkom ducked that question when Gino Odjick and Ottawa's Andre Roy tangled in the second period. One of the linesmen was escorting Sheldon Souray to the penalty box after he was assessed a minor penalty, and Roy came skating across the ice and started throwing punches at Odjick. While the Hidden Game recognizes that the party line in the NHL is that most fights are spontaneous outbreaks brought on by the heat of the action, this appeared to be a clear case of one player being the instigator. But neither referee saw it that way.
Hidden Game; [Final Edition]
PAT HICKEY. The Gazette. Montreal, Que.: Jan 7, 2001. pg. B.5

HE SUCKED IN THE MINORS TOO...WHY WAS HE EVER HIRED?
"One of the NHL's new refs is Stephane Auger, who had a run-in with Florida coach Duane Sutter when Sutter coached Indianapolis in the IHL in the mid '90s. Sutter was so ticked at Auger for allegedly missing calls, he grabbed a broken stick and walked across the ice, using it like a blind man's cane. All of that brings us to the possibility of NHL refs and linesmen hitching rides on team charters after games this year, in light of the terrorist attacks. "We'll make room for the guys, but not where we have to store them," laughed Florida president Bill Torrey."
-Can we get a ride with you guys?; [Final Edition]
Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: Oct 1, 2001. pg. D.3

EVEN LEGENDS HATE HIM:
"Last week, ESPN's cameras captured Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman directing an expletive-laced tirade towards referee Stephane Auger.

If you listened closely, you were able to distinguish a few of those seven words George Carlin suggested you couldn't say on television.

Apparently, Stevie Y never got that memo."
Stop reading their lips; [Final Edition]
Bob Duff Sports Columnist. The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ont.: Jan 29, 2002. pg. D.1.FRO

"Referees Dan Marouelli and Stephane Auger were generous in giving the Canadiens seven power plays, but Balej's goal represented their only success."
-Habs' Balej impressive: Slovakian is making it hard for team to send him back to juniors; Flames 4 Canadiens 2; [Final Edition]
PAT HICKEY. The Gazette. Montreal, Que.: Sep 15, 2000. pg. D.4.BRE

HE EVEN SUCKED IN JUNIOR
"The contest was influenced by referee Stephane Auger for the first two periods, with both teams having numerous power-play opportunities, but it was Hull which made the most of them."
-Olympiques square series: Hull netminder Bergeron blocks 40 Shawinigan shots; [Final Edition]
Lisa Burke. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Mar 30, 1999. pg. C.3

" taking some undisciplined penalties from a referee, Stephane Auger, they knew from two previous tournament games is quick to make calls."
-Hull bought the title, says Oshawa coach
Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: May 20, 1997. pg. C.1

"A report this week said referees were told by Canadian Hockey League officials to cut down on the number of penalties called in order to speed up games.

Fewer calls should be a boon to both Oshawa and Lethbridge, who like physical hockey, and a disadvantage to Hull, a skating team.

League officials neither confirmed nor denied the edict to the referees, but Lethbridge defenceman Chris Phillips said the change made late in the week has been noticeable.

``The game against Hull and the game against Oshawa, with the same ref (Stephane Auger), were totally different,'' said Phillips. ``There were over 100 penalty minutes in the Hull game and about 20 against Oshawa.

``I think everyone's happier -- the fans too. It's a more open game and you know that you're not going to get called if you just touch someone.''
-Hurricanes need to strike early this time; Bad start cost them against Oshawa; MEMORIAL CUP; [FINAL Edition]
Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: May 17, 1997. pg. D.3