Here's the text of an email I sent to the league. Let them know how you feel. They're in the entertainment business and if the show sucks, they should be told.

The March 28th game had to be one of the worst games I ever watched. The referee destroyed in a minute what looked like was going to be a hard hitting exciting WHL game. I've supported the Cougar franchise with season tickets all but two seasons. Last night was their chance to show the town what WHL hockey is all about and regenerate interest in the franchise, and the league sends someone like that referee? We had an extra 1800 bodies in the stands that probably won't be back now. The Vancouver Giants are more than capable of taking this series on their own, they don't need any officiating help.

I didn't see the Zimmer hit, but I can't believe it was any worst than what Brule pulled in Vancouver - no suspension for him? If the playing field isn't going to be level, let us know so we don't get our hopes up that we have a chance.

All I can say is I am one very disappointed WHL fan who will be reevaluating where I will be investing my $900.00 next year - Canucks pay per view or WHL Hockey.

I'll send something along as well. I have NO PROBLEM watching games and seeing my team lose fair and square, but to be subjected to that level of officiating (in the playoffs no less) is downright embarassing for the league. It is NOT entertaining and to be brutally honest, it's a complete and utter waste of money to have to watch that pathetic excuse for a ref.

How the league could look at that and say "good job" is beyond me.

You didn't see the Zimmer hit,yet you wrote the league to complain?Ya,they are gonna take you seriously!You Cougar fans need to stop your whining.The refs haven't put your team down 2-1...Grow up.

that the reffing last night was not horrendous, you are legally blind.

Did the refs steal one from the Cougars? No . . . I believe we would have lost anyway.

Were the refs terrible? Yes . . . it was simply awful.

Not sure why Vancouver fans don't understand that those two statements can BOTH be true.

The whining is getting old! We had crappy refs in games 1 and 2 here,but you didn't hear our fans wanking.I agree the refs in this league suck (generally) Just that whining doesn't help,and the league office will not take you seriously,especially after a loss.Good luck to your boys tonight!

I have to believe there are NHL and WHL officiates watching tapes and games live to see what refs are capable of moving up to the NHL and AHL. This guy should have his skates taken away from him or be forced to ref 7 yr old ringette.

The cougars would have probably lost the game but in the first five minutes the ref set a tone to a game that isn't the cougars style, they need to hit and bang and work the boards. I just hope this guy is held accountable for his actions.

Actually they need to hook and hold and clutch and grab.Finally the ref called that crap.When you try to play the Giants straight up,you lose.Your only hope is to hook and hold and clutch and grab.Truth hurts.

And hopefully he'll take Toigos you know what out of his ass and look on the other side where Fistric, Brule and that little twirp Hunt should go to the box every other shift.

Seriously,think it through,my friend.

would you like a blanky or some cheese with your whine?


how about the 3-1 series lead, put that in your pipe and smoke it


obviously the cougars can do no wrong, and if you clowns wanna see it that way, good for you, i will stand up and clap

you are totally outmatched, just admit it, dont cry and blame the officiating, it works both ways

clutch and grab hockey does not win you games, TALENT does, and you seriously lack in that department..............actually add class to the list too, because you lack in that worse then talent

Why did Carolina, Calgary, Minnesota etc make it so far in the NHL playoffs? Your team has pulled crap to, so why don't YOU take the big shoes and red nose off and open your eyes because I can guarantee if the Cougars were up 3-1 you boys would be singin the same tune.

Give me one incident perpetrated by a Cougar and I'll give you one of equal value by a Giant. Tell me about Giants talent and I'll tell you about Cougar heart. Call us classless and I'll call you arrogant. I may be old school when it comes to hockey but if taking dives, and ducking down to avoid a check and draw a penalty, is the new school then I'll drop out thankyou. I recognize and appreciate talent as much as the next guy but when that talent swaggers around all cocky and arrogant and pretends that it does no wrong, I'll cheer for my lunchbucket team any day.
The series isn't over yet and I've got faith in my team to come out on Saturday and give it everything they've got, because that's the kind of team they are. I'd love to see the Giants bus it back to P.G. again and see how they handle the grind that we put up with each and every away game we play. I'm not ready to hang up my jersey yet, so let's go Cougars!!

And if you want to talk about ducking, I'll take about constant clutching and grabbing. As for the diving, I really hope you don't think the Cougars haven't done their fair share this series as well. I hate it as much as anyone else, and the Cougars have been just as guilty of it this season than any other team.

Since you mentioned heart, the reason why the Giants have such good attendance is just that. The Giants may have all the skill in the world, but I wouldn't underestimate the determination of this squad. If you think the Cougars will outwork the Giants in game 5, you're sadly mistaken.

but if you think the Cougars do a lot of diving then you know your Giants will put together a team in the Olympics with their theatrical displays. What a joke to even suggest there's a comparison in that department. Ask around the league and you'll see that the Giants and the Tips have reputations as divers. As for your interpretation of clutch and grab, it happens but maybe you should also learn the difference between that and hit and pin...a perfectly legal way to seperate the man from the puck and one employed by lots of teams, including those in the NHL. I'm telling you that all this talk of Cougars dirty play makes me laugh when I watch the crap that the Giants get away with and no penalties called, or some rose colored glasses that see it all in some different light. Tyrell gets a slashing penalty for knocking a guys stick out of his hand as he comes around the back of the net (the Giant player also falling to the ice like he's been sniped) and yet when Lucic (I believe he was the perpetrator) hacks our D mans stick hard enough to break it, no penalty. Featherstone gets a cross checking penalty for taking out a guy in front of the net, yet no call at the other end when Albers nails one of our guys with exactly the same cross check. Zimmer is a dirty player because as he checks Lamb, the guy ducks and gets his head rapped into the boards but Jill-Bare is "just showing his frustration" when he grabs Zimmer around the neck from behind and hauls him down backwards. Gee, are you getting my drift Mr. Hypocrite?

How ironic of you to mention rose coloured glasses. What was I thinking, clearly the mighty Cougars can do no wrong. I now understand why everyone around the league always appaulds when the Cougars miss the playoffs. If there'd be one thing sweeter about winning tomorrow other than advancing to the next round, it would be shutting up the people from PG.

The Giants have done their fair share of diving this series, but by no means have the Cougars been inocent either. Bowles has flopped around quite easily on a couple occaisions this series, as well as the regular season. Dustin Slade is....Dustin Slade. It's not pretty, but there's no doubt that he's been an elite goalie this season.

So keep calling that kettle black, you guys aren't fooling anyone outside of PG. Cougar fans want to talk class, I think you guys are in no position to do so.

It's the fact that the Giants are almost always on one! We'd be more than happy to match up 5-on-5 with these guys for 60 full minutes. But Toigo has the league buying into the concept that his primadonnas are untouchable. So much as look at Brule or Slade the wrong way and you're in the box.

Yeah, our powerplay is pathetic, but yours isn't...so if the Giants are going to get a man advantage it better damn well be a true call, not a dive. I can't believe a team with such superior talent plays like a bunch of cheating nerds in the schoolyard. If you're so tough, mighty and talented...why not stay on your damn feet, tell Toigo to stop buying off the refs, and play like men?

you could play 6 on 5 the whole game and not beat us

of course nothing is ever said about the tackle football that certain players on your team play, which is fine, we just work through it

your 4 dman system and a complete lack of ability to put points on the board by 2 of your so called "big guns" is what has cost you

look for the season ticket renewal form in the mail, because thats the only thing you will see with a cougar logo on it back in PG in the near future

gonna be a long bus ride home on saturday night after the series gets wrapped up

might i also say, do the beautiful people of PG not attend hockey games? or do they only allow the humpback inbreds into the CN center?

was the ref your talking about?

First of all when your reading this think of it as the voice of the “Walgreen’s” the town of perfect guy’s voice

Ladies Ladies lets stop all the arguing. We all know that Vancouver of course is in fact the centre of the universe, much to the debate of many people. And of course there’s nothing wrong with the officiating when you’re a Vancouver Giant fan and all the calls are going your way. And the shots are never lopped sided because the Giants are always on the powerplay, it’s just because they’re that darn good and will win the Cup this year, because no one really knows how the Giants can shut a team down. Oh and I can’t forget about Vancouver’s marvelous goaltender. Oh the stuff that he can get away with. Ohh wait wait, he’s not getting away with anything because, once again I forgot that Vancouver is in fact, the centre of the universe and can do no wrong.

Now I’m not saying that the cougars don’t get away with things, they do. But doesn’t a fight usually end when your sweater gets pulled over your head? Shouldn’t there be a penalty when your head locked into the boards? Not in Vancouver, because in the centre of the universe things work differently, Where they have a new breed of hockey player, one that can, somehow turn green, hind in a shell at the first sign of danger, and somehow still get respect around the league. Up here in the real world if a referee is going to call something, they should call it for both teams. And yes a ref can have something to do with the shots on goal, I mean if your on the power play for half the game then yeah, your going to get more shots. Heck, you even get your very own centre of the universe announcers who we all know are totally competent individuals who never favor Vancouver when they talk *COUGH*COUGH*COUGH* ehemmmm, sorry had a bit of a fir ball there.

Now no, wonderful Vancouver fans, I’m not complaining, I’m agreeing with both sides on this matter. Some people like to look at things from one side, the centre of the universe side, but its really not their faults fair people of Prince George. It has taught since they we’re younglings that everything revolves around Vancouver, so really it’s not their fault. I mean why shouldn’t they be aloud to fly to Prince George? I mean since it is a whole 775 Km (that’s 465 miles for our friends beneath the 49th parallel) that the cougars have to travel all the time. And yes, we did buy a bus to travel in, so sue us. We have the university hill to train on, and you don’t need a brand new stair master when the one you have works fine. Yes you chose to spend your money on a training facility, how is it our fault you chose to buy it? We chose bus, you chose building. And with all of this money you all say your wonderful owner has why can he not cough up money for a bus. Don’t tell us you can afford to fly everywhere, have money for all this other great stuff and build a new training facility and then in the next breath say that you can’t buy a bus.

If I forgot anything I’m sure that the wonderful people that reside in the centre of the universe will kindly remind me of them.