sent shockwaves through me. Whenever I worked back-to-back games in different cities, the alarm always seemed to go off just as I had fallen into the first deep sleep of the night. In 34 years, my fear of missing a wake-up call—and then my flight—never eased. After a few moments of disorientation, the fog lifted enough to process which city I had called “home” the night before, and where I was heading for the next game. My restless night had nothing to do with the minor controversy surrounding my ruling that disallowed a Buffalo goal late in the second period of their 3–2 loss to the Canucks. While the call might have disturbed Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s sleep, it seemed fairly academic to me. Every official likes to have some confirmation that his decision was the correct one, and there is no better vehicle than to review the game DVD provided to each referee by the home club. Viewed in the privacy and quiet of my hotel room, a second, third, or fourth look at a play can be both educational and affirming.
