In Case You Missed It: Referee POV reveals hockey’s lighter side

Watching from the stands sometimes just isn’t enough for the passionate fan. And most of the time it is too much for those having to put up with that passionate fan. And everyone knows how crazy hockey fans, in particular, can get.

So, the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL decided to get fans as close to the action as possible by outfitting one of the referees with a GoPro camera and a mic. My friends, it is downright entertaining. No, it’s an outright hoot.

Referee David Banfield gives “an up close and personal look at what happens on the ice during a game,” according to the video shot during the annual Teddy Bear Toss game against the Rockford IceHogs on Dec. 7.

Lots of vulgarity (bleeped out), fighting, yelling, pleading, penalizing, disciplining. It reminds me of a middle school play yard at lunch.

Banfield even sounds like a recess monitor, “Keep your heads up. This could get stupid, eh.”

But Banfield and his mates do a good job keeping the peace with a sense of humor, good communication and some timely coaching of the players on the ice.

Seems like a job well done, until Banfield slips up… literally.

“My pride is hurt,” he declares.

Well, yeah. And it was caught on camera.

Have you seen a video you’d like to share? Contact Graydon Johns at gjohns@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @gjohns