18-Year Veteran Referee Justin St-Pierre Retires Due To Knee Injury

[The Crypto Guy]

NHL Referee Justin St-Pierre Retires Due To Knee Injury

Referee Justin St-Pierre has worked his last National Hockey League game. The veteran ref has hung up his skates after a difficult recovery from a knee injury.

scoutingtherefs.com

Thank you for your service! One of the better guys.

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[KirkAlbuquerque]

Sad but he was a ref who really relied on his elite burst to officiate games, without that he doesn’t have enough of an all around ref game to be effective

 

[Megustaelhockey]

It's a tough job. You don't have (m)any fans and you make a lot less than the players for a significant risk of injury. All you get are hotel and airline points. 18 years is a solid run.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Thanks for your service Justin

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Just 8 playoff games in 18 years? How?

 

[Mathieukferland]

He’s from near my hometown, he would come back and run a ref school most summers. Happy retirement!

 

[Leafidelity]

The best refs are the ones you don't know the names of. Shame we're losing a seemingly good one.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Just 8 playoff games in 18 years? How?

Oh wow….i didn’t realize that. He must have not been ranked in the upper half often. Playoff games are all about your ranking/ratings.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Enjoy retirement

 

[The Crypto Guy]

He’s from near my hometown, he would come back and run a ref school most summers. Happy retirement!

He’s opening (opened?) a referee school now, probably in that area.

 

[Realgud]

Just 8 playoff games in 18 years? How?

Almost the Jeff Skinner of reffing

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

It's a tough job. You don't have (m)any fans and you make a lot less than the players for a significant risk of injury. All you get are hotel and airline points. 18 years is a solid run.

Completely disagree. You work 75 “days” (a gameday is what? 4-5 hours?) a year with summers off for 200k to 500k+ depending on seniority. If you have to go over that for playoffs you get bonused out. Linesman have comp a little worse. And going outside the scope of HFB no one knows who the hell you are nor do you have to answer for anything. CBA protects your job.

The downside is injury risk. And time away from home.

“All you get” is a pension, and a playoff game retirement bonus. A lot more than most could say.

Are these guys making crazy money? No. Are there cushier jobs? Sure. But doesn’t seem that tough to me.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Completely disagree. You work 75 “days” (a gameday is what? 4-5 hours?) a year with summers off for 200k to 500k+ depending on seniority. If you have to go over that for playoffs you get bonused out. Linesman have comp a little worse. And going outside the scope of HFB no one knows who the hell you are nor do you have to answer for anything. CBA protects your job.

The downside is injury risk. And time away from home.

“All you get” is a pension, and a playoff game retirement bonus. A lot more than most could say.

Are these guys making crazy money? No. Are there cushier jobs? Sure. But doesn’t seem that tough to me.

You realize that the 3 hour game is not the only time they are at “work”. They have to train almost non-stop to make sure they can keep up with the game, most are older than the players, they have daily meetings, and have to be at the rink hours before the game to look over game notes and player tendencies (more meetings). All while being on the road for 8 months of the year in highly stressful situations.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Just 8 playoff games in 18 years? How?

Widely regarded as the worst referee in the league.

But good luck to him with his knee injury. Not wishing injuries on him, but he was a terrible referee.

 

[DearDiary]

Completely disagree. You work 75 “days” (a gameday is what? 4-5 hours?) a year with summers off for 200k to 500k+ depending on seniority. If you have to go over that for playoffs you get bonused out. Linesman have comp a little worse. And going outside the scope of HFB no one knows who the hell you are nor do you have to answer for anything. CBA protects your job.

The downside is injury risk. And time away from home.

“All you get” is a pension, and a playoff game retirement bonus. A lot more than most could say.

Are these guys making crazy money? No. Are there cushier jobs? Sure. But doesn’t seem that tough to me.

You left out the money they make as mercenaries, selling their services to the highest paying team owner.

 

[Hockeylife2018]

You realize that the 3 hour game is not the only time they are at “work”. They have to train almost non-stop to make sure they can keep up with the game, most are older than the players, they have daily meetings, and have to be at the rink hours before the game to look over game notes and player tendencies (more meetings). All while being on the road for 8 months of the year in highly stressful situations.

Ehh, I'd take that over laying brick and destroying your body only to have to likely work until the day you die

 

[bambamcam4ever]

It's a tough job. You don't have (m)any fans and you make a lot less than the players for a significant risk of injury. All you get are hotel and airline points. 18 years is a solid run.

There are so many jobs with higher risk of injury. And most don't pay $250k to work 2 or 3 times a week for 3 hours