Stéphane Auger
Encyclopedia
Stéphane Auger is a National Hockey League
(NHL) referee
who wears uniform number 15. Auger began his career as an official at the age of 16 as a part time job in the winter. He began officiating provincial midget hockey and moved up to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
before turning to the professional ranks. He joined the National Hockey League Officials Association in 1994 and officiated his first NHL game on April 1, 2000, a game between the Chicago Blackhawks
and host New York Islanders
. He has officiated over 500 NHL games in his career, including 10 playoff games.
captain Shane Doan
a misconduct penalty after concluding he verbally abused an official and made culturally insensitive comments against the referees, who were French-Canadian. The NHL reviewed the allegations against Doan and concluded that they were baseless.
After a game on January 11, 2010, Vancouver Canucks
forward Alexandre Burrows
accused Auger of having a personal vendetta resulting from an incident in a previous game. Burrows stated that Auger told him before the game that he was going to "get him back" for making the official look bad previously. Burrows received four penalties in the third period of the game, a Vancouver loss against the Nashville Predators
. The league investigated Burrows' claims and concluded that they could not be substantiated, while stating that "Referee Auger’s intentions were beyond reproach."
On March 12, 2011, New York Islanders
, numerous Islanders players accused Auger of conspiracy, saying they felt the officials saw the Devils' playoff run as more important than their own playoff push. There was a large discrepancy regarding power-play time. A New Jersey Devils
player was insulting the Islanders coach and his assistants during the game and the player was not punished for his actions. Additionally, when Alternate Captain Frans Nielsen
spoke to Auger about what was going on, he was given what was the first game misconduct penalty of his entire career. Islanders interim coach Jack Capuano
stated that he requested but received no explanation from Auger on the Nielsen penalty, citing difficulty engaging the officiating crew throughout the entire game. On March 13, 2011, the NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Terry Gregson
confirmed to Newsday that the NHL is indeed looking into this matter. This incident follows a previous controversy involving Auger and the Islanders earlier this season in which a questionable spinning move was used to score during the shootout. Although the shootout goal was regarded as "close" to violating the continuous motion rule, the goal was ultimately ruled legal and Auger was not found to be at fault.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) referee
Official (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an...
who wears uniform number 15. Auger began his career as an official at the age of 16 as a part time job in the winter. He began officiating provincial midget hockey and moved up to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
before turning to the professional ranks. He joined the National Hockey League Officials Association in 1994 and officiated his first NHL game on April 1, 2000, a game between the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and host New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He has officiated over 500 NHL games in his career, including 10 playoff games.
Controversy
Auger has been caught up numerous times in on-ice controversy. In an NHL game on December 13, 2005, in Montreal, he assessed Phoenix CoyotesPhoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
captain Shane Doan
Shane Doan
Shane Albert Doan is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Doan is the longest tenured player on the club, having played all fourteen of his NHL seasons with the original Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise...
a misconduct penalty after concluding he verbally abused an official and made culturally insensitive comments against the referees, who were French-Canadian. The NHL reviewed the allegations against Doan and concluded that they were baseless.
After a game on January 11, 2010, Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
forward Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
accused Auger of having a personal vendetta resulting from an incident in a previous game. Burrows stated that Auger told him before the game that he was going to "get him back" for making the official look bad previously. Burrows received four penalties in the third period of the game, a Vancouver loss against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The league investigated Burrows' claims and concluded that they could not be substantiated, while stating that "Referee Auger’s intentions were beyond reproach."
On March 12, 2011, New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, numerous Islanders players accused Auger of conspiracy, saying they felt the officials saw the Devils' playoff run as more important than their own playoff push. There was a large discrepancy regarding power-play time. A New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
player was insulting the Islanders coach and his assistants during the game and the player was not punished for his actions. Additionally, when Alternate Captain Frans Nielsen
Frans Nielsen
Frans Nielsen is a Danish professional ice hockey player currently playing with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He is the first Danish citizen to play in the NHL.-Playing career:...
spoke to Auger about what was going on, he was given what was the first game misconduct penalty of his entire career. Islanders interim coach Jack Capuano
Jack Capuano
Jack Capuano is the head coach of the New York Islanders.He is a retired former professional ice hockey defenseman who spent parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League in the late 1980s and early 1990s....
stated that he requested but received no explanation from Auger on the Nielsen penalty, citing difficulty engaging the officiating crew throughout the entire game. On March 13, 2011, the NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Terry Gregson
Terry Gregson
Terry Gregson , nicknamed "The Head Zebra", is the current National Hockey League Director of Officiating. He was formerly a referee in the NHL from 1981 until 2004. He wore a helmet from the mid-1980s until the end of his refereeing career...
confirmed to Newsday that the NHL is indeed looking into this matter. This incident follows a previous controversy involving Auger and the Islanders earlier this season in which a questionable spinning move was used to score during the shootout. Although the shootout goal was regarded as "close" to violating the continuous motion rule, the goal was ultimately ruled legal and Auger was not found to be at fault.