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Kerry, Have you ever worked the final game of a Stanley Cup Final? If so, what do the officials do after the game? Is it a special night for them, too? And what is involved in the off-season? Thanks, Mark in Edmonton -- Mark: Even though it has been a couple of days since the Cup was hoisted by the Los Angeles Kings in the Staples Center the celebration continues through Monday with a scheduled Stanley Cup Parade for the players and their fans. Travis Hamonic Jersey . Congratulations to the Kings on their success; not only for winning the Cup but for the way they battled through each of the previous series to advance to the final! Their never quit attitude and strength of character was something special to watch. The New York Rangers also deserve tremendous credit for overcoming adversity on different fronts and for their outstanding playoff run. The final game was as intense and exciting as any fan could hope for regardless of who you were cheering for. The officials would have observed the post-series handshake from near the referees crease and most likely remained on the ice as Commissioner Bettman presented the Stanley Cup. This is as close as a referee or linesman can get to being part of the Stanley Cup experience; some 45 feet away as it being presented to the winning team captain. After Dustin Brown received the Cup the officials would skate slowly along the boards, unnoticed as they retreated from the ice at the Zamboni entrance and then enter the safety and solitude of their dressing room. There is certainly an element of relief that the series and their season is over as the officials shake hands and congratulate each other on their work together as a team. The playoff run is a long grind for the officials as well and the thought of going home to their family and not having to pack their equipment bag for at least a couple of months are both welcome thoughts. There might also be some trepidation as to how the crews performance will be regarded and evaluated by their superiors. There is intense pressure surrounding each game and every closely-scrutinized decision that an official is called upon to make. Regardless of the outcome, they give their best and hope that their effort and judgment is perceived as “good enough”. It is also a moment for self-reflection on their personal performance and in the bigger picture of the journey that began at training camp and ended in this pinnacle of the season and perhaps in their career. There is a sense of accomplishment. The referees are required to attend to one last piece of business by scribing their signature on the final game sheet once it is brought into their dressing room by the Official Scorer. Although not required, I always had the linesmen sign the game sheet as well and then asked for copies that each of us could keep as a memento of the final game. After the Officiating and Hockey Operations Department personnel completed their debriefing comments the officials would relax with a cold beverage followed by a hot shower. Food would have been catered in and once the officials were showered and dressed they would open the room to family and friends that might have attended the game. My wife, Kathy attended all but two of the dozen Stanley Cup Final series that I worked, in addition to the 98 Winter Olympics in Nagano and the ‘96 World Cup of Hockey in Europe. Each of our seven children took turns attending Cup Final games and they share wonderful memories of being part of something very special from behind the scenes. I always wanted to share any business success that I enjoyed with my family since they made sacrifices as a result of me being away from home so much during the season. The referees and linesmen returned to their home base the morning after the game in Los Angeles and will attempt to quickly get back into the swing of family life in time for Fathers Day. I hope they plan to get away to relax and reconnect. Kathy and I always planned a vacation; just the two of us to get away for a week or 10 days immediately after the season. It was an important time for me to decompress and for us to enjoy each other as husband and wife. Once school ended for the children we took them on a special family vacation as well. It is very important for an official to try to keep his life in balance and reward the best and sometimes only fans he has; namely his family! Mark, I worked several final games but one of the most memorable was Colorados seven-game victory over the New Jersey Devils in 2001. The primary reason for that is because it was Raymond Bourques first and only time hoisting the Stanley Cup. In his 20 full seasons with Boston, the Bruins had come up short against Edmonton in both 1988 and 1990. At the age of 40, the five-time Norris Trophy winner as the leagues top defenceman led all Avs blue liners in scoring, with 59 points, was named to the First All-Star team, and was runner–up to Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the Norris Trophy voting. He also scored the winning goal in Game 3 of the final. As I prepared to work Game 7 of that series, I must tell you the city of Denver was electrified from the moment the sun came up that morning. The only minute of calm I found that day was at 8am, when I went down to the Pepsi Center for a skate before the teams arrived. I skated alone in the empty, dimly lit arena for 30 minutes, while outside the building, television trucks and equipment filled the nearest parking lot. I had never seen so much media coverage for a final, and the big story was Raymond Bourque. The Avalanche won Game 7 that night, and in a remarkable display of class and respect, team captain Joe Sakic, after posing with the Cup, handed it directly to Ray Bourque so that he could be the first to skate a victory lap. My colleagues and I watched Ray skate the Cup around the ice from the Zamboni entrance and then retreated to our dressing room. It was something special to have been part of. The game had gone well for us and there had been no controversy. We felt good about the job we had done and felt peace and contentment as a result. We celebrated the end of our season together as colleagues and then quickly showered and brought our wives and family members into the room to celebrate with us. We went to a fine Denver steakhouse as a close-knit group and held our own “Stanley Cup party;” not because we won anything but because we had done our job well. Kathy and I flew home the next morning feeling joyous in the knowledge that it was, once again family time even though it would only last a month or so until it was time to begin my conditioning program to get ready for training camp. Then it would all begin again! Such is the life for an NHL referee and his family. Thank you for another terrific season on Cmon Ref. Please enjoy a safe and happy summer with your family. I hope to see you back here again next season. Mikael Backlund Jersey . Darren Collison and Blake Griffin scored 23 points apiece and the Clippers beat the Suns 112-108 Wednesday night, their fourth win in a row and 17th in the last 19 games. Al MacInnis Jersey . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. http://www.flamesauthority.com/authentic-jaromir-jagr-flames-jersey/ .FIFA says it is relaxing the rule which forced match officials to leave its international list at the end of the year they turned 45. BOSTON -- The new World Series championship banner was blowing stiffly from left field to right. The wind caught the bunting behind home plate and puffed it out like a pillow. And in the dugout, the Milwaukee Brewers were ready to end this game. "It was freezing," right fielder Logan Schafer said. "We were all really cold so we said, Hey, lets hurry up so we can go home." Khris Davis doubled in the 11th inning and scored on Schafers double on Saturday night as the Brewers beat the Red Sox 7-6 to hand Boston its second straight defeat. With a gametime temperature of 48 degrees that dropped into the 30s by the extra innings, when all but a few thousand or so fans had left, Davis had four of Milwaukees 19 hits. "My body is mad at me right now," he said. "Its hard to stay warm out there." Tyler Thornburg (1-0) earned the win with a perfect 10th inning. Burke Badenhop (0-1) came in to start the 11th and gave up Davis one-out double, then Schafer one-hopped the Green Monster between the left and centre fielders. Francisco Rodriguez struck out the side in the 11th for his second save. The Brewers led 3-0 and 6-2 before allowing Boston to come back with two errors that led to four earned runs. Milwaukee batters struck out 18 times -- the most for Boston at Fenway since Roger Clemens fanned 20 for the first time, on April 29, 1986. "You dont feel good about the game when its happening like that," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. Jean Segura and Aramis Ramirez each had three hits for the Brewers, who gave former NL MVP Ryan Braun the day off. Carlos Gomez and Mark Reynolds each hit a solo homer in the second inning -- the first hit of the season for Reynolds, who signed as a free agent this winter. The Brewers scored one in the first, two in the second and three in the third off Clay Buchholz, who gave up a career-high 13 hits and lasted only 4 1-3 innings. "It took a little bit to get loose. It was pretty cool out there," Buchholz said. "You dont want to give up that many hits ever. Theyre swinging early and putting balls in play." It was 6-2 before Boston came back on Mike Napolis threee-run homer in the third and an unearned run in the sixth. Miikka Kiprusoff Jersey. Xander Bogaerts led off with a double and scored from third when Segura fumbled Jonathan Herreras slow roller at shortstop for an error. Ramirez also had an error at third base on Dustin Pedroias grounder that kept the third inning alive; one out later, Napoli homered to deep centre. The Brewers threatened in the eighth and again in the 10th, but both times Jonathan Lucroy lined out to Daniel Nava -- at two different positions. After scoring six runs in the first three innings, Milwaukee led off the fourth with back-to-back singles from Gomez and Segura. But Buchholz struck out Lucroy before Ramirez hit a long fly ball to centre field. Gomez tagged up and took third base and then tried to score, when second baseman Dustin Pedroia bobbled the throw from centre fielder Grady Sizemore. But Gomez was out at the plate to complete the inning-ending double play. The rally rescued Buchholz, who was 12-1 in an injury-plagued 2013 season, from matching his loss total from all of last year. The Brewers put the go-ahead run on third in the eighth inning against Brandon Workman when Segura singled with two outs, stole second and took third when A.J. Pierzynskis throw went into centre field. Lucroy lined the ball toward right field, but Nava leaped at first base to snare it and end the inning. Milwaukee also loaded the bases with two out in the 10th when Segura struck out but reached on a wild pitch. Lucroy hit one deep to right, but Nava had moved to the outfield and he went back to get that one, too. Notes: Braun was out of the lineup one day after going 0-for-5 on Friday in the series opener to extend his slump to 14 hitless at bats. He is 1-for-16 on the season. ... World Series MVP David Ortiz was not in the starting lineup for the Red Sox for the first time of the season. He pinch hit for Jackie Bradley Jr. in the ninth, but grounded out. ... The Red Sox shuffled their lineup repeatedly before the game, scratching Will Middlebrooks (right calf) and Mike Carp (lower back tightness). ... Red Sox closer Koji Uehara struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth. 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