AS a player I do not envy the role of a referee in the slightest.

In a game you’ve got the two linesmen who will stay on the barrier, calling off-sides, icing, the majority of face-offs and they can help the referees if they feel there are any calls he has missed.

Then you have got the main referee and his primary role is to call any infringements and penalties.

They have a very small window to make the decisions. They’re under a lot of pressure as well because there are two teams – who are biased – as well as the fans in the rink, all giving their own opinion.

As players we should try and be respectful when we are putting an opinion across. However I am not the best at it, I am quite bad, but I think it is part of growing up and I am trying to be better.

I think there is a PDF file online, that I was having a look at the other day, with regards to rules and it is massive.

The information they have to retain on making the right call at the right time and with no help from a video referee, it is amazing.

There could be an incident where there is a penalty leading up to a play, then the puck could go down the other end and there could be a borderline off-side call the linesman hasn’t kept up with before a goal goes in where the puck has just crossed the line and it is the referees job to get all of that right.

If they were professional referees maybe they would have more training, the same as us if we were professional we would train more, but with their jobs there is only a certain amount they can do.

If you could help the referees out with having support off the ice then that would be huge but money wise I don’t think it’s realistic.