special night for them, too? And what is involved in

Kerry, Have you ever worked the final game of a Stanley Cup Final? If so, what do the officials do after the game? Is it a special night for them, too? And what is involved in the off-season? Thanks, Mark in Edmonton -- Mark: Even though it has been a couple of days since the Cup was hoisted by the Los Angeles Kings in the Staples Center the celebration continues through Monday with a scheduled Stanley Cup Parade for the players and their fans. Congratulations to the Kings on their success; not only for winning the Cup but for the way they battled through each of the previous series to advance to the final! Their never quit attitude and strength of character was something special to watch. The New York Rangers also deserve tremendous credit for overcoming adversity on different fronts and for their outstanding playoff run. The final game was as intense and exciting as any fan could hope for regardless of who you were cheering for. The officials would have observed the post-series handshake from near the referees crease and most likely remained on the ice as Commissioner Bettman presented the Stanley Cup. This is as close as a referee or linesman can get to being part of the Stanley Cup experience; some 45 feet away as it being presented to the winning team captain. After Dustin Brown received the Cup the officials would skate slowly along the boards, unnoticed as they retreated from the ice at the Zamboni entrance and then enter the safety and solitude of their dressing room. There is certainly an element of relief that the series and their season is over as the officials shake hands and congratulate each other on their work together as a team. The playoff run is a long grind for the officials as well and the thought of going home to their family and not having to pack their equipment bag for at least a couple of months are both welcome thoughts. There might also be some trepidation as to how the crews performance will be regarded and evaluated by their superiors. There is intense pressure surrounding each game and every closely-scrutinized decision that an official is called upon to make. Regardless of the outcome, they give their best and hope that their effort and judgment is perceived as “good enough”. It is also a moment for self-reflection on their personal performance and in the bigger picture of the journey that began at training camp and ended in this pinnacle of the season and perhaps in their career. There is a sense of accomplishment. The referees are required to attend to one last piece of business by scribing their signature on the final game sheet once it is brought into their dressing room by the Official Scorer. Although not required, I always had the linesmen sign the game sheet as well and then asked for copies that each of us could keep as a memento of the final game. After the Officiating and Hockey Operations Department personnel completed their debriefing comments the officials would relax with a cold beverage followed by a hot shower. Food would have been catered in and once the officials were showered and dressed they would open the room to family and friends that might have attended the game. My wife, Kathy attended all but two of the dozen Stanley Cup Final series that I worked, in addition to the 98 Winter Olympics in Nagano and the ‘96 World Cup of Hockey in Europe. Each of our seven children took turns attending Cup Final games and they share wonderful memories of being part of something very special from behind the scenes. I always wanted to share any business success that I enjoyed with my family since they made sacrifices as a result of me being away from home so much during the season. The referees and linesmen returned to their home base the morning after the game in Los Angeles and will attempt to quickly get back into the swing of family life in time for Fathers Day. I hope they plan to get away to relax and reconnect. Kathy and I always planned a vacation; just the two of us to get away for a week or 10 days immediately after the season. It was an important time for me to decompress and for us to enjoy each other as husband and wife. Once school ended for the children we took them on a special family vacation as well. It is very important for an official to try to keep his life in balance and reward the best and sometimes only fans he has; namely his family! Mark, I worked several final games but one of the most memorable was Colorados seven-game victory over the New Jersey Devils in 2001. The primary reason for that is because it was Raymond Bourques first and only time hoisting the Stanley Cup. In his 20 full seasons with Boston, the Bruins had come up short against Edmonton in both 1988 and 1990. At the age of 40, the five-time Norris Trophy winner as the leagues top defenceman led all Avs blue liners in scoring, with 59 points, was named to the First All-Star team, and was runner–up to Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the Norris Trophy voting. He also scored the winning goal in Game 3 of the final. As I prepared to work Game 7 of that series, I must tell you the city of Denver was electrified from the moment the sun came up that morning. The only minute of calm I found that day was at 8am, when I went down to the Pepsi Center for a skate before the teams arrived. I skated alone in the empty, dimly lit arena for 30 minutes, while outside the building, television trucks and equipment filled the nearest parking lot. I had never seen so much media coverage for a final, and the big story was Raymond Bourque. The Avalanche won Game 7 that night, and in a remarkable display of class and respect, team captain Joe Sakic, after posing with the Cup, handed it directly to Ray Bourque so that he could be the first to skate a victory lap. My colleagues and I watched Ray skate the Cup around the ice from the Zamboni entrance and then retreated to our dressing room. It was something special to have been part of. The game had gone well for us and there had been no controversy. We felt good about the job we had done and felt peace and contentment as a result. We celebrated the end of our season together as colleagues and then quickly showered and brought our wives and family members into the room to celebrate with us. We went to a fine Denver steakhouse as a close-knit group and held our own “Stanley Cup party;” not because we won anything but because we had done our job well. Kathy and I flew home the next morning feeling joyous in the knowledge that it was, once again family time even though it would only last a month or so until it was time to begin my conditioning program to get ready for training camp. Then it would all begin again! Such is the life for an NHL referee and his family. Thank you for another terrific season on Cmon Ref. Please enjoy a safe and happy summer with your family. I hope to see you back here again next season. Cheap Devils Jerseys Authentic .Y. -- Defenceman Ryan Murphy had a goal and an assist and Drew MacIntyre made 24 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 4-2 in an exhibition game Wednesday night. Cheap Devils Jerseys China . Pressley missed all of last season with Cincinnati because of a knee injury, but the 5-foot-10, 249-pounder had been expected to fill a need on Clevelands roster. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/ .com) - Mike Conley scored 20 points with five assists to help the Memphis Grizzlies remain unbeaten with a 91-89 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Wholesale Devils Jerseys .Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end. Cheap Adidas Devils Jerseys TORONTO - Forgive Dwane Casey if hes not jumping up and down as a result of his teams first win of the exhibition season. Although the Raptors coach acknowledges the positives - and there were several of them - to be taken out of Mondays 97-89 preseason victory over the Celtics, there was one thing that was on his mind the following afternoon. "Turnovers," he emphasized after practice on Tuesday. "26 turnovers is way too many. Weve got to make sure we cut those down." Preseason rust is a phenomenon that has been known to affect even the best of teams and Casey understands that. Its also not hugely surprising for a Raptors team that has spent the bulk of training camp working strictly on their defence. Casey accepts this premise, but he wont excuse it. "We[ve] got to get those down," Casey said of the offensive miscues. "Probably in half, is my goal once we get going. A lot of it is rust, we spent a lot more time defensively than we have offensively." Protecting the ball was one of Torontos strengths a year ago when they averaged just 13.7 turnovers per game, third best in the NBA. By halftime on Monday the Raptors had turned the ball over 16 times and each of their starters finished the game with three or more giveaways. "It was the first game," said Terrence Ross, who had just one turnover in a standout 12-point performance. "Its not going to be perfect [but] were working on it." The young Celtics scored 26 points off Torontos 26 turnovers but the Raptors were able to overcome their mistakes thanks in large part to efficient shooting (52 per cent), an inspired performance on the boards and a defensive effort that met their coachs high expectations. "We did a lot of good things defensively," Casey said after preaching a re-commitment on that end of the floor throughout the first week of camp. "Weve got to continue that, build on that [and] cut down on some of the mistakes we made defensively but most of all we made up for the mistakes with effort." Casey will continue to emphasize defence first and foremost but making the most of each possession will undoubtedly be a focus for his team when they host the Timberwolves at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday. "Its something that were going to be more conscious of in the next game," Ross admitted. "I dont think well get 26 turnovers [or] anywhere near that again." Eliminating "cheap" fouls Anoother focus for Caseys club has been increasing their defensive intensity while also decreasing the unnecessary fouls theyre being called for, a tricky act to balance and one the Raptors have had a tough time with in the past.dddddddddddd Toronto has committed more fouls than any other NBA team in each of the two seasons since Casey took over as head coach. Last year they were whistled for a shade over 22 violations per game, down from 23 the season before. On par with their 2012-13 average the Raptors committed 22 fouls on Monday, six of them called on Jonas Valanciunas who fouled out late in the fourth quarter. One of the (few) pitfalls that comes with employing a group of high-energy big men is the foul trouble thats likely to ensue. That will be the challenge for Valanciunas, Amir Johnson - who led the league in fouls last season - and spark plug Tyler Hansbrough. They are far too valuable to be constrained to the bench for long stretches. "The fouls we dont want to have are the cheap ones," Casey said. "Where youre reaching and grabbing, not in position. Ill take that hard play and try to correct it as we go." For Valanciunas its about playing under control on defence and when fighting for position in the low post. Casey and the coaching staff have been working with the sophomore centre on his balance as well as his vertical shot contest. "When he goes up, what we call verticality," Casey said, "and then he comes down with the hand, he thinks hes going straight up but human nature brings the hand down and he gets a cheap foul." Praise for Hansbrough Hansbrough was a popular man at practice on Tuesday. His reputation precedes him. You love him if hes on youre team, you hate him if hes not, we were told. Turns out he makes friends quick. "Tylers my favourite player on the team," Ross joked, a day after Hansbrough debuted for the Raptors with 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench. "I love playing with him," he continued. "It makes my job a lot easier knowing that hes down there battling. Hes usually taking on two guys so theres more people focused on Tyler. He slows a lot of things down for us so its great having him on the team." Lowry banged up Kyle Lowry banged his hand in practice Tuesday morning, according to Coach Casey. His status is not known but should be updated prior to Wednesdays preseason game. Its not believed to be serious. 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