I have seen the refs in other games talking to my son after a save and I'll ask him later what the ref said. He said sometimes they tell him he made a great save and other times they offer advice to him or they joke around. So I guess refs are almost like real people in that they come in all types (joke). Why would anyone want to be a ref? It's a no win situation. No matter what, someone is gonna hate your guts. It must take an special type of person, part meglamaniac, part do gooder, and part judge wannabe. We were at a AHL game recently and the ref kept getting in the way of the players and then shouting at them to stay clear of him. I bet my kids that he would get knocked out before the third period. Right afterwards he got hit with a slapshot much to the crowds delight. But, he never backed off he kept geeting right in the middle of play. He survived the game.