Inside the Press Box: Off-Ice Officials

Storming the Crease is conducting a series of interviews with people who cover (or work for) the Caps and the NHL. You can find the complete log on the right sidebar. Today's twentieth installment: David Keon, the NHL's senior manager of public relations and part-time crew supervisor for the off-ice officials at Toronto's Air Canada Center.

1. Please take the readers behind the scenes. What are your pre-game preparations and interactions with the on-ice staff?

For the most part, there is not a lot of interaction with the on-ice officials. I arrive at the rink usually a couple hours prior to the game and touch base with most of the crew, which consists of about 15-16 people for each game. Each has their own duties to prepare for puck drop -- whether it is checking computers, goal lights, setting the game clock for warm-ups, checking the overhead cameras, etc. Most of the guys handle the same responsibilities on a nightly basis.

After warm-ups, the coaches provide the line-ups for that day's game, which are traded among coaches and the information is passed onto the announcers and the scorers in the press box. Once that happens, I usually take a copy to the referees' room, where I check in and see if there is anything they need information-wise before they take to the ice.

2. What is the procedure for a goal review? Please take us through the process and describe your interactions with the staff in Toronto.

In the event there is a review, either the video-goal judge or the on-ice officials request that a goal or possible goal be reviewed. Once the request has been made, we relay to the announcer to let the fans in the building know what is happening. Then the video goal judge and the hockey operations staff in Toronto look at the play to make a ruling.

At this stage, the referee usually puts on a headset, which allows him to talk to the video goal judge and the hockey-ops staff. They decide the outcome of the play. The ref usually lets me know the outcome before announcing it to the crowd, so we can get the process started and move on with the game.

3. We often hear about a change in scoring. Is every goal reviewed to confirm that it is scored correctly? How does that work?

Every goal is reviewed by the official scorer. At times, there are changes at the request of the scoring team or because the scorer finds another angle at intermission when he is allowed to use the video replay equipment to ensure that the correct calls have been made. At times, a goal is scored late in the game and review requests are made after the game. If the scorer has not left, he may look at it again or the team may request the league review the play the following day if they don't agree with the call.

4. What are some of your favorite hockey-related moments?

You hear a lot of things in the penalty box -- some funny, some not so funny, most of which I wouldn't repeat. My favorite moments have been working big playoff games. The intensity is incredible, the atmosphere electric.

One of the best was in the 1990s [April 27, 1994] in Buffalo when the Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils 1-0 in the fourth OT. Dave Hannan scored on Martin Brodeur and it was a goal that needed to be reviewed as it barely touched the mesh under the crossbar. I was behind that goal and put the light on.

Earlier in the game, there were a couple close calls and a couple goals that were called back at my end with both Brodeur and Dominik Hasek in goal. At the end of the night (3 a.m.), I was exhausted but had seen one of the greatest playoff games ever played.

5. What occupies your time when you're not working games?

Off-ice officials have full-time jobs and are all normal everyday people. They get to watch a game they love and provide a service. But away from the rink, they are no different than any other hockey fan.