ECACHL Officials

I'm surprised I haven't seen this mentioned over here, but that could be because it's a fabrication.

Over on USCHO there's a thread stating that Butch Bellemore (Supervisor of Officials) and Brewster Earle his assistant both resigned after the first period of the Cornell/Harvard game. The story is that Schafer and Bellemore got in to a shouting match between periods (presumedly over the officiating in the game although I suppose Bellemore could have stuck Schafer with his bar tab the night before). When Commissioner Hagwell stepped in and threatened to have the police remove Bellemore from the arena, he resigned.

Was wondering if anyone had heard the real story or if any of the Ithaca papers picked up on this?

I thought that Bellemore, Hagwell and their families were sitting at the table and standing in the tunnel behind the away goal. I was sitting at the bottom of 128, in the second row right next to the table.

Bellemore's contact info is still on the ECAC(HL) website: [www.ecachockeyleague.com]

(BTW, I love how Hagwell's email address is "shagwell"

What is clear though is that people really hate Cornell. Certain Harvard fans seem to have an affinity to disseminate false information (think clutch and grab) on the USCHO boards. Opposing teams and their fans feed off of our fans (Union and RPI come to mind). Maybe it is the "you have no fans" cheer? Or the drunken tirades after wins by some of our young fans that haven't ever experienced losing? Either way, I don't think it is helping.

But you have to admit that standing up in the final minute of a 1-0 hockey game is just plain rude.

atb9
I thought that Bellemore, Hagwell and their families were sitting at the table and standing in the tunnel behind the away goal. I was sitting at the bottom of 128, in the second row right next to the table.

Bellemore's contact info is still on the ECAC(HL) website: [www.ecachockeyleague.com]

(BTW, I love how Hagwell's email address is "shagwell"

What is clear though is that people really hate Cornell. Certain Harvard fans seem to have an affinity to disseminate false information (think clutch and grab) on the USCHO boards. Opposing teams and their fans feed off of our fans (Union and RPI come to mind). Maybe it is the "you have no fans" cheer? Or the drunken tirades after wins by some of our young fans that haven't ever experienced losing? Either way, I don't think it is helping.

Happens to Duke basketball, too. They deal with it by winning. (Unlike the Duke lax team, which got taken down 11-7 by our Big Red at Duke in bitterly poor weather. Cornell ran off the last four goals [edit correction: 5 of the last 6] of the game, the D was awesome. Let's hope it's catching.).

At least Rich S would stand up for us when it's not a Clarkson game involved. Say, where is Rich these days?

Life would be too perfect if Steve's admin was Felicity.

Apparently USCHO has more information on this subject:
[www.uscho.com]

So the resignations are official. We don't and probably won't have confirmation one way or the other about the Bellemore/Schafer shouting match story.

If it is true that Schafer got into a shouting match with an official between periods of the game, I'd be really disappointed.

I walked past that area several times a period and was shooting back there quite a bit during the games and didn't see or hear anything. Of course I wasn't there all the time. *shrug*

calgARI '07
If it is true that Schafer got into a shouting match with an official between periods of the game, I'd be really disappointed.

Well, so would I, but this wasn't an official, it was a bureaucrat. They're always fair game to yell at.

schoaff

calgARI '07
If it is true that Schafer got into a shouting match with an official between periods of the game, I'd be really disappointed.

Well, so would I, but this wasn't an official, it was a bureaucrat. They're always fair game to yell at.

I definitely agree. My gripe would just be Schafer seemingly putting more energy towards scolding the officials/bureaucrats when its his players who are sucking and costing themselves the game.

If Schafer got into a shouting match, even if he was the aggressor, I still think that the officials AND bureaucrats shouldn't let it drag on and on. At some point, they should walk away. And if Schafer is out of line, give him a penalty. Can't they give him an abuse of official penalty between periods? If what was detailed in the USCHO message board really happened, it's ridiculous that it escalated to this point.

RatushnyFan
If Schafer got into a shouting match, even if he was the aggressor, I still think that the officials AND bureaucrats shouldn't let it drag on and on. At some point, they should walk away. And if Schafer is out of line, give him a penalty. Can't they give him an abuse of official penalty between periods? If what was detailed in the USCHO message board really happened, it's ridiculous that it escalated to this point.

I agree, Schafer could be in the wrong. But if you're a league official. You have to walk away. You can't let a coach drag you into a childish shouting match. You have to walk away. Coaches are supposed to show emotion - a supervisor of officials has to be the adult.

RatushnyFan
If Schafer got into a shouting match, even if he was the aggressor, I still think that the officials AND bureaucrats shouldn't let it drag on and on. At some point, they should walk away. And if Schafer is out of line, give him a penalty. Can't they give him an abuse of official penalty between periods? If what was detailed in the USCHO message board really happened, it's ridiculous that it escalated to this point.

I haven't seen anyone claim officals were involved, just the bureaucrats from the league. Did I miss something?

Yeah, you shouldn't have prolonged arguments with the on-ice guys, but if you start penalizing them for arguing with league employees you might as well penalize people for arguing with the guys at the parking garage on the way to the game too.

calgARI '07
I definitely agree. My gripe would just be Schafer seemingly putting more energy towards scolding the officials/bureaucrats when its his players who are sucking and costing themselves the game.

This is how Ned spent a lot of his time between periods. It's not like he had to lecture the Fergusons, Ken Dryden or Dan Lodboa how to play hockey, so he spent it as productively as possible - bitching at the refs.

According to CHN the Schafer/Bellemore incident never happened...

[Q]CHN Staff Report

ALBANY, N.Y. — ECAC Supervisor of Officials Butch Bellemore, and Brewster Earle, the league's Director of Officiating Development, have informed the league they will resign their positions.

ECAC commissioner Steve Hagwell declined to comment on the situation.

Contrary to Internet rumors, sources told CHN that Bellemore was not involved in a mid-game shouting incident with Cornell coach Mike Schafer during Saturday's ECAC final.
[/Q]