Hockey this ain't

I've just stopped watching the Canada-Russia final. I've been consistently shocked by the refereeing at these world championships, but this is beyond horrible. They've called five penalties on Russia and not a single one on Canada. Canaian players have hooked and tripped the Russians from the first puck drop, and no calls have been made. Instead, the refs put a Russian player in the box for lifting his opponent's stick, calling it hooking. Seconds after the penalty expired the Canadian power play unit scores.

Next, Chris Kunitz scores the 2-1 goal in memorable fashion. Maxim Sushinsky has the puck at center ice. Eric Staal puts his stick into his skates and trips him. It's probably the most blatant infraction of the first period. No call is made; Chris Kunitz grabs the puck and scores on the breakaway. Eric Staal and the nearest ref should both get assists.

Russia is getting called when their players foul; occasionally even when they don't. Canada isn't. The refereeing has teetered between ridiculous and non-existent all through the tournament, but this is disgusting. When only one team gets called for fouls, it isn't a hockey game any more. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure as hell not watching it.

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This is, overall, the most disgraceful international ice hockey tournament I've seen. Finnish ice hockey don Kalervo Kummola already complained the tournament was very badly arranged, and I can't help but agree. It looks like the ice quality has been horrible from the start, the way the puck is jumping around and the players can't stay on their skates. Nearly every game, at least in Halifax, has had to take a break because the plexiglass along the boards keeps falling out. We've seen fewer TV replays of penalties and other events than at any other world championships, and overall the amount of confusion and trouble has been exceptional.

The refereeing has been nothing short of incredible. In the Czech-Belarus game, a puck that was clearly kicked in was counted as a goal, which was somewhat eclipsed by the amazing decision to allow Ville Koistinen's goal that went in through the side of the goal. It should be noted that it shouldn't even be possible for the puck to go in through the side of the net in the first place; it's the linesmen's job to check the net, and it looks like they didn't.

The games have been consistently called differently for the two teams playing. Either the referees have called practically nothing, or they've used totally different standards for the two teams. This process is coming to a head now in the finals, where there are two totally different rulebooks for the two teams.

It's ridiculous that the IIHF will apparently let anyone referee international games. The two Swedish clowns wearing the stripes in the final are making a travesty of the IIHF's 100-year anniversary games.

Update: Lucky I watched the overtime!