The Vig

Vancouver’s fantastic Orland Kurtenblog has an awesome interview with WHL referee Matt Kirk.

I think our linesmen do a very good job of breaking up fights when a player is hurt or has become disadvantaged or when there is clearly a mismatch in the fight. But otherwise, if two players are both willing combatants, why not let them go? Some people may not like it but the fact of the matter is that fighting is a part of the game. The players want to fight, the fans want to see the fight and, frankly, so do we as referees. Hey, when it comes to the fights, no one has a better seat in the house than the referees.

Kirk may like watching fights, but he’s got nothing on Jason “Let’s Have a Line Brawl” Nissen.

Seriously though, Kirk just climbed way up my esteem ladder.