Ray Slover

Mick McGeough once told an interviewer he looked forward to retiring so he could spend time raising horses.

There are loads of NHL fans who think McGeough got an early start on stable work and does it every time he steps on the ice.

Mr. McGeough's latest misadventure took place Tuesday in St. Louis, in a game in which two Blues goals were nullified by officiating and replay ineptitude that had fans, players and management screaming. Settle down, Senators fans, your guys played well and this is no knock on them. But I'd bet behind closed doors several of them were snickering. It's also fair to disclose that the Blues were horrific on the power play, going 0-for-7 and allowing two shorthanded goals to a team that has excellent penalty-kill counterpunchers.

But Tuesday's game was beyond bizarre. Even the most veteran press box observers were left wondering what in sam hill was going on.

A headline on the recap by beat reporter Norm Sanders of the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat tells the story: "Blues incensed by goals not allowed."

Basically, the details are this: McGeough and fellow referee Dennis LaRue blew it, and the video-goal judge and the NHL supervisors in Toronto blew it. Not once; twice.

Except for possible disciplinary action, this case is closed. GM John Davidson, who railed to media after the game, calling the situation "disgraceful" and "disgusting"; coach Andy Murray, who said he and his staff were screaming about the calls; and players like Doug Weight, who called the situation "a joke," all treaded lightly, but were clearly fuming. In his post-game press conference, Murray said: "I didn't say anything to get fined, did I?" He's a man of measured words, but one could tell Murray was steamed.

Were this the first folly involving Mr. McGeough, we'd be tempted to overlook it. Bad night; his helmet was too tight or too loose and slipped over his eyes. But it's not.

Go to YouTube and find the horrendous call McGeough made late in an Oilers-Stars game that negated a goal. Take a look at the column by respected hockey scribe Eric Duhatschek on GlobeandMail.com. To quote Duhatschek: "Coach Craig MacTavish, incensed by the lost point, described it as a 'retarded call' -- language that the NHL found offensive enough to fine him $10,000 -- not so much for questioning the call, but for the volatile way he did it."

There's a fire Mick McGeough online petition in addition to numerous denunciations. And LaRue also gets his share of criticism. To be fair, there are nice things to say about both these gentlemen. Their families do love them, after all.

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Murray got it right Tuesday night: Referees have an impossible job and are made to look worse by replay. "Mick McGeough's a good referee, but sometimes guys have to acknowledge when they make a mistake," Murray said. That was very generous of him.

At some point, referees have to be made accountable. The NHL has banished officials before, and no one is crying about not having Paul Stewart in stripes.

If there aren't enough topnotch officials for the NHL, then maybe it's time to chuck the two-referee system. Let one guy, two linesmen and video do the job. If there are enough good officials, it's time to weed out the bad ones. And NHL supervisors in Toronto have to be accountable if they are going to review every goal or potential goal.

It's time for officiating chief Stephen Walkom and other NHL brass to take a look at Mr. McGeough.

And maybe it's time for Mr. McGeough, whose future is in horses, to smell what he's shoveling.