In 1981, officiating was receiving extra scrutiny in the QMJHL after a series of official complaints by league coaches.
Complaining about officiating is nothing new in hockey. Back in 1981, referees in the QMJHL were coming under fire from coaches, players and fans. QMJHL president Marcel Robert was forced to defend his officials but acknowledged some issues.
"There is a big place for improvement among referees in the league," said Robert. "The big complaint is inconsistency. Coaches are saying that some referees are too severe, others are not severe enough, and the coaches don’t know what to expect before a game."
In particular, the league was fielding official complaints regarding Robert Monfils. The referee had doled out 106 minutes in penalties in a game involving the Montreal Juniors and Sherbrooke Castors in the second period alone.
Another identified problem was the retention of officials. From the piece, "Of the 12 referees in the QMJHL, seven are in their rookie season."
Read the rest of the story from this article dated February 13, 1981.
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