CARHA Hockey recently had the privilege of speaking with Steve from @HeyStripesVideos which continues to grow and gain popularity among hockey fans on social media. You can find his videos on Instagram at @HeyStripesVideos, YouTube at @HeyStripes, TikTok at Hey Stripes, and Twitter/X at @HeyStripesVideo. The highlight videos are recorded from a referee point of view (POV) where Steve is mic’d up to provide game commentary, rule education, and just plain fun!
CH: What inspired you to start using a GoPro during your games and sharing the content on social media?
HEYSTRIPES: I watched the World Cup of Hockey series in 2016, and they had a refcam. It was very shaky, but it was an exciting view of some of the best hockey the world had to offer. I thought that I could recreate that same exciting view by wearing a go-pro as well. I also thought that it might be a good way to show players that the ref sees the game very differently than a player and create more understanding between players and referees.
Posting the videos on social media has been a great vehicle for discussion on penalties and plays. There are of course the occasional angry commenters here and there, but most of the discussion on my clips is positive and meaningful.
CH: How do you balance the entertainment value of your content with educating your followers about the rules of hockey?
HEYSTRIPES: In the beginning I simply posted all the highlights of every game that I reffed, but over time I realized that people were more interested in only a select few highlights rather than full highlight packs. I try to find a good balance of penalty calls and goal highlights so that there is something for everyone.
CH: What’s the most surprising reaction you’ve received from a player after they’ve seen themselves in one of your videos?
HEYSTRIPES: I had one player who used to yell at the refs about everything. Icings, offsides, he thought every bit of contact with the players on his team was worthy of a major boarding penalty, etc. One night he blew up at me over a clear tripping call. I added an unsportsmanlike penalty in hopes of giving him some time to calm down, but he couldn’t let it go and got very close to me with his face red with rage. He was ejected from the game. After the clip of his blowup went online, I didn’t see him for a full year. Then one day he showed up on the ice and skated right towards me. I expected him to start yelling but instead he extended his hand and said “Stripes. I’m sorry for everything. I saw the video of me and was shocked. I had no idea that I looked like that when I played hockey. I talked with my team, and they all said they were on the verge of kicking me off the team for my behavior. So, I took a year off and went to anger management. I’m only here to have fun now.”
I told him that it was water under the bridge and that I looked forward to sharing the ice with him again. I said I was happy to see him. Since then, he has been nothing but great. He jokes with the other team. We chat during warmup and after the game. He never questions any of the calls. He’s never involved in scrums and in fact he calms his team down when they get heated. I think sometimes we just need a mirror.
CH: As a referee, you often face criticism from players and fans. How do you handle the pressure and stay focused on the game?
HEYSTRIPES: One day I was late for an important appointment. I was upset about the thought of being late. I was driving and complaining about how slow the guy in front of me was going. I looked down at the speedometer and thought “he’s going the speed limit, it’s just me being late that is making me upset and making him appear to be driving slowly”. That’s when it clicked. The players are out on the ice skating around at top speed, exerting themselves physically. Their adrenaline is racing. Their judgement of the situation is affected by their elevated heart rates, and own team biases. They are quite literally not seeing the game the same way that the ref is. Once you understand that, then the criticism can be taken with a grain of salt/understanding.
CH: Can you share a memorable moment from your career that made you proud to be a referee?
HEYSTRIPES: That’s easy! I had been making my Hey Stripes videos for a few years when I received a message on Instagram from a young man in the Vancouver who was interested in becoming a referee but had been too nervous to go through with it. One day he found my videos and started watching them. By watching them he saw what the game looked like from the ref POV and over time he became more and more confident that he could do the job, so he signed up. Soon enough he was going to do his first game. He wrote to me to tell me that my videos had made him confident. He comments on videos and asks questions occasionally. Knowing that I had a part in helping him will stay with me forever.
CH: What’s one rule in hockey that you think is misunderstood by most players or fans, and how do you clarify it through your content?
HEYSTRIPES: Narrowing it down to 1 rule is tough. There are a lot of rules that many players either don’t know or don’t understand. If I had to pick one, it would be what to do when you break your stick. Most people who grew up playing their way through minor hockey know that it must be dropped immediately, but players who did not play much (if any) minor (or who never broke a stick) don’t know what to do. When I see a player with a broken stick, and a confused look on their face, I give clear verbal directions to “Drop it Drop it Drop it!” in hopes they will do just that thus keeping everyone on the ice safe. When I do need to give a penalty for it, I always accompany it with an explanation of the rule and without fail the player will say “I had no idea that that was a rule”.
Then, once I post the clip of the penalty, I will get a lot of comments (again mainly from people who did not play minor) about how it either isn’t a rule or that I am a bad ref for calling it. I do my best to help educate them by pointing to the specific rule in the book, and to explain why it is a rule in the first place. I have noticed in the last year that the majority of the broken sticks during games that I work are being dropped immediately…so I think it’s working.
CH: What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a hockey referee, especially in dealing with the challenges of the role?
HEYSTRIPES: I would tell them to skate, skate and skate some more. Being in the correct position makes the job way easier than trying to see around players. Ask for advice from veteran refs. They are an incredible asset. They have been in every scenario you can think of. They will be more than happy to tell you stories and help you along the way. I would say to call only what they see and do not guess. Be assertive, clear and confident with your calls. Know the rule book inside and out. Understand that players are emotional and competing hard. This may lead them to say things they don’t really mean. You have tools/rules at your disposal should their comments go too far, but you should remain professional. I would also add that I’ve had way more fun reffing hockey than I did playing hockey. I know that might sound crazy, but once you start reffing, you’ll see the game in a whole new way, and you will understand!