Referee Voices brad watson: ‘You’ve Made It’ Moment

rad Watson knows his two decades in the NHL meant plenty of missed calls. Any official has to deal with that.

“It’s important we pull those back and we start celebrating some of those good calls,” Watson said. “I think as officials when you trust your own judgment, you’re going in the right direction, and when you react and make the right call. I learned two things there. I learned to trust my judgment, and I know I can live in that stage.”

Watson goes back to his third year in the league. One moment which he feels forever changed his trajectory.

First, a quick stage set: Islanders and Toronto in a backand-forth playoff game. New York beat Toronto thanks in part to a penalty shot awarded

Bby Watson’s call, creating a firestorm through Canada.

Watson knows what he saw, though.

“Basically it was a cross-ice pass, and then the winger got the puck, and he’s going over the blue line, and he has to get past a defenseman,” Watson said. “The defenseman from Toronto turns and stumbles ever so slightly, so that gave just enough space for that New York winger to get down to where the face-off dot is, and he starts driving and got the score.”

Watson recalled exactly where he was, what he saw and how he handled the moment.

“I’m across the ice, I’ve got a nice diagonal position, good sight line. And when I see this play develop, I see the defenseman stumble, and all of a sudden it slowed the game down for me, because I go, something bad could happen here,” Watson said. “So when he does lunge and trip him and the player slides into