I feel the need to add some insight as to what goes on in the Situation Room. I worked a total of 34 years for the NHL, both on and off the ice. In that time, I spent a total of 10 minutes inside the room, taking a quick tour. Last month, because of my position at ESPN I had the privilege of spending an entire evening in the room. There were 13 games being played and every game had a dedicated «Logger» who reviewed and documented every zone entry, scoring chance, and infraction with the help of 3 Hi-def monitors and super slo-mo - there is also a leadership group of 3-5 ppl on any given night who are ex-NHL players and coaches. They have played or coached for a combined 24 different NHL franchises. Add to that, 1 retired NHL official who is a current supervisor and takes a turn swinging through - the room on a monthly basis. Each of these officials (7 total) have all worked in excess of 1000 NHL games. I had no idea what a technological marvel this room is. Picture NASA but with nothing but hockey on the screens and rule books and memos piled everywhere - When anything happens in any game that may require a review, it's immediately, «All hands on deck» It's a rush seeing their team jump into action. The logger in question is immediately surrounded by the leadership group and the play in question is isolated and prepped - to be reviewed and sent to in-arena tablets in the penalty box. Communication lines are opened to the arena and they're ready for a coach's challenge if needed. They are so efficient and professional, they usually have a definitive answer before the refs even get on the - headset. It pains me to read comments that «they flip a coin» or «don't want a certain team or country to win» I realize that these comments are based in frustration but they are ignorant, disingenuous and could not be further from the truth. The men in this room - have hundreds of years and thousands of games of experience in the NHL. They are principled, honest and hard working. Their integrity is beyond reproach. I don't agree with every decision they make but I never worry that any decision has an ounce of bias. They want - to get every call right and serve the game to the best of their abilities. The have immense pride in the work that they do. If anyone feels like taking a deep dive into their body of work, I encourage you to dig up video of calls not involving your favorite team - I think you'll find that their calls are extremely consistent and fair. It's a tough job without much praise and I for one have a ton of respect for all they do
