National Recognition for Officials

Taking your game to the next level is just as important to officials as it is players. Given the numbers that actually make the show or the NHL the fact that Canada has a strong representation at two major events is impressive.

We (despite what some think) put ample time into this national program and I for one am proud to be part of. It is a new side to the game and if you have a passion to succeed the program is set for success. It won’t happen over night, but it will happen. There are hundreds of volunteers that are in officiating for the right reason and only a few that pretend they do – but in the end they only want to advance what they do. For those who strive for success they succeed and the bad ones fail and have a short lived career.

To the hundreds that strive for success – keep up the good work. You’ve earned your stripes!

To advance means to triumph and it is with strong gratification that Hockey Canada made the announcement official with the following release.

Hockey Canada is pleased to announce that Chris Savage and Chris DeHaan have been selected to officiate at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Grand Forks, ND Dec.25-Jan.4, which will be the first time either have officiated the World Junior “A” pool Championship. Hockey Canada also announced on Monday the list of officials for the 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Lethbridge, AB (Dec. 29-Jan.4).

2005 IIHF WORLD JUNIORS:

Savage, a 33 year old from Saskatoon, SK, has been officiating for over 18 years and is level 6 certified. This will be his 6th season in the WHL. Chris was the referee for the gold medal games of the 2004 IIHF Men’s World Championship “B” pool in Norway, the 2004 Memorial Cup final, and the 2003 and 2004 WHL Championships. Chris and his wife Lisa have two boys (Carsten and Dawson) and have recently moved to Medicine Hat, AB.

DeHaan, a 30 year old from Abbotsford, BC, has been officiating for over 13 years and is level 4 certified. This will be his 11th season in the WHL. Chris has officiated two Memorial Cup finals (2001 and 2004), and his international experience includes the 2000 IIHF World Under-20 “C” pool Championship in Nagano, Japan, and the 2004 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Minsk, Belarus. Chris and his wife have two daughters and currently reside in Abbotsford.

WORLD UNDER-17 OFFICIATING ASSIGNMENTS:

Hockey Canada also released its list of 17 officials from across Canada that will be officiating the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge being held in Lethbridge, AB from Dec.29-Jan.4.

The referees for the U-17 event will be Andrew Guest (BCAHA), Ghislain Hebert (HNB), Michael Marley (OHF), Pascal St. Jacques (HQ), Reagan Vetter (SHA) and Ross Bain (OHF).

The officials selected to be linesmen are Brandon Liefke (BCAHA), Chris Carlson (HA), Chris Oatway (PEIHA), George Gray (ODHA), J.P. Sylvain (HQ), Jeff Jobson (HA), Kiel Murchison (BCAHA), Mitchell Kirkup (HM), Michael McCreary (OHF), Michael Michalski (OHF), and Tom Clarkson (HNB).

The officials selected for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge are participants in the OPOE (Officials Program of Excellence). This program is designed to assist in the identification of talented officials in Canada and to help develop them.

Maurice Roy, Hockey Canada Referee-in-Chief, is pleased with the up and coming officials Canada continues to develop, “We are extremely proud of the group of officials we are sending to this year’s World Under-17 tournament. They are a great example of the quality of officials we have from coast to coast in this country.”

All games in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will be played under the IIHF rules. Real-time statistics for all games will be available at www.hockeycanada.ca

For more information on the OPOE or Hockey Canada, please visit the official website at www.hockeycanada.ca

Pre-Game Supervision

Pre-game supervision is an essential part of today’s game – especially in Junior Hockey. It shows character and a commitment from the officials that they truly take the game serious and should a situation arise – they can take charge and make the proper assessment of penalties.

The first part is the arrival time of the official at the rink. Far too many officials at the minor level arrive about 5 – 10 minutes to the game and this is unacceptable from all standards of the game. I for one find it difficult to get into game mode when I am the only one at the rink in such a short period of time. How does one get motivated or focused to go out and do a professional job when you show you don’t care.

If players, coaches and team officials can arrive early so should the officials. This based on the fact they do it for free and the officials get paid. Maybe late officials should be penalized a portion of the game fee, then see how long it would take them to start being on time. My guess is – ONCE

Here we see some young officials watching the pre-game warm-up at the Sungod Arena in North Delta. Home of the North Delta Flyers of the PIJHL.

Looking intent – means dedication!!

NHL refs opt for new jobs

From coaching, to selling cars or installing cabinets you do what you have to do. This is no different from other jobs in todays world, with the exception this time it’s the NHL officials doing odd jobs to make ends meet. Welcome to the world of NHL reality facing the NHL officials and just possibly a new CBC sitcom to hit the airwaves prior to Christmas. Bill McCreary is installing kitchen cabinets. Don Van Massenhoven is selling cars. Stephen Walkom is coaching girls' hockey.

The NHL's 80 on-ice officials have been somewhat forgotten in the rhetoric of the lockout with the league and NHL Players' Association unable to find a solution to splitting up $2 billion US in revenues.

While the players who earn an average of $1.8 million a season, have been saving up for a long labour war, the league's 44 referees have tried to do the same on their $100,000 average salary.

"Our guys, financially, have basically prepared for this for three years," Walkom, a native of North Bay, Ont., says from his season-long home just outside Pittsburgh. "It was just common sense and we hoped for the best but reality says expect the worst”.

However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how much less financial leeway the refs have.

"If we were in the same boat as players making the wages they do I guess you could prepare better," says McCreary. "However, my wife and I have tried to prepare as well as we could for this. We haven't decreased our means of living too much. Our (two) kids are still able to have the things they've had so far.

"Hopefully this won't take too long and we'll be back to work on a regular basis."

Van Massenhoven, a former police officer who joined the NHL as a referee 11 years ago, has found yet another career while he awaits the lockout to end.

"I have a friend who has a car dealership and he offered me a job,” states Van Massenhoven who lives just on the outskirts of Strathroy, Ont, just a short trip from London. "I'm not sitting around and waiting for this to end. I've got to take care of my family, and full-time at that."

The thought had crossed his mind to go back to policing but "it's hard to go back because by the time I got re-trained and reinstated, it just wasn't worth it and not fair to the rest of the members". So if you ever need a new or used car drop in to Dale Wurfel Pontiac Buick GMC for a coffee and we’ll talk.

"I wrote my certification course for sales and leasing. You know, you're meeting people and talking to people, it's been kind of interesting," he says. "But I only took the job because I wasn't taking someone else's job. It just happened that he needed someone."

That's an important qualifier from Van Massenhoven, because NHL on-ice officials made a pact before the lockout.

"We made a decision as an association that we would not pursue on-ice work elsewhere, save except for charity," says Walkom, 41. "We just felt we didn't want to go in and take anything away, whether it's developmental or actual money from another official."

So while the AHL, ECHL or maybe Europe (where some 200 NHL players have landed) could have beckoned, NHL on-ice officials decided to stay home.

"I've been asked that question by a lot of my friends, 'Aren't there any other leagues you guys can ref in,"' says Van Massenhoven. "But we just felt any time you go somewhere else to work that someone else must have been there before you.

"So we didn't feel our membership should be taking work away from people that needed it as much and maybe more than us."

The decision also has roots in the officials' 17-day strike early in the 1993-94 season.

"When we went out on strike in 1993, we had the support of most officials throughout North America with the exception of a few who decided to take upon themselves to work while we were trying to strike a better deal with Mr. Bettman to try to support our families," McCreary recalls.

"We haven't forgotten that as officials and we appreciated the support we got at that time so we've taken that stand ourselves."

So in the meantime, they're trying to survive.

For Walkom, that means more time spent with his wife, 10-year-old daughter, six-year-old son and 18-month girl.

"For the first time ever for all of us guys, we're home two weekends in a row," Walkom says. "That never happens during the season. If there is a bright side to this, we'll get to do something we'll never get to do at any other time during our careers.

"For me, I can help coach my daughter's hockey team, my boy's hockey team, be there for every practice and every game. So at least this gives us an opportunity to do the volunteer work that usually has to be done by others when we're away."

While Walkom and Van Massenhoven are young enough to know there will be NHL games to work on the other side of this lockout, McCreary has to ponder his future a little more carefully if the NHL labour dispute lasts two years.

"There will be a lot of us whose careers will be getting on and up," he says. "If this is a two-year lockout, it would be a concern I know to myself and other senior officials on the staff."

In the end, because officials insist they don't side with either party, all three officials agree the game must come out on top when a collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA is finally signed.

"I think what's important is not who comes up with the concept or model but rather if it's the right fix for our industry," Walkom says. "I would hope both sides would embrace it and look to the long-term profitability for themselves and the game in general."

Trading Spaces

Buddies Bits

Officials in all areas must start to work and assist the assignors. They respect what you do, so pass it along the other way. Don’t short notice or make excuses if something goes wrong. Be fair and honest, not to mention helpful when needed and remember – it’s your career.

Congratulations are in order to Al & Betty Gilbert who recently celebrated a 40th Anniversary.

On the move is Surrey/Delta official Jason Burkhart who has moved to Bakersfield California to work for the ECHL under supervisor Jim Norquay. Our loss is there gain. I for one expect big things from Jason.

Supervison Tips

2010 Olympic Bid Committee