Road To 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games

For me personally officiating has been a way of life going back decades which all started off with my Dad when we lived in Trenton Ontario in the early 60ties.

Interesting enough for many to understand is that some officials in today’s world I never considered it as a job but something that I enjoyed doing whenever I had the chance to lace up the skates and hit the ice with Dad.

Over time the game has drastically changed and regardless if you like and embrace the changes they’re here to  stay.

Years back as with various sports we never heard of girls or women officiating a man’s game – so we were told but fast forward to 2025!!!

The program has grown and honestly speaking there are some young girls I have the luxury of watching and they actually do a respectable job which I applaud them for taking up.

With the Olympics around the corner as the road to Milano isn’t that far off the IIHF has listed the names of the female referees heading to Milano. 

The road to the Olympics started after the previous Olympic tournament games wrapped up in 2022 now knowing that effective February 2025 there were 30 hockey officials’ names added to the list.

Eventually the numbers were cut after what I can only imagine must have been a hard  process narrowing 24 then to 22 which are twelve (12) Referees and Ten (10) linesmen – er rather being politically correct called linespersons. 

The following press release is from the IIHF – Enjoy the read:

The IIHF recently invited all 22 game officials to a pre-Olympic preparation camp in Milan so that the best female officials in the world are ready to go when the first puck drops in the opening game for what will surely be one of the highlights of their careers.

The officials spent two and a half days in Milan as they covered rule interpretations, standards, communication, and the logistical setup related to how they will work with the situation room when a video review is needed. 

They also spent time on the ice at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, which will host most of the women’s Olympic games. 

The semifinals, the bronze medal game, and the final will be played at the Santaguilia Arena.

Having the officials gather in Milan in the leadup to the Olympic tournament was an important step in their preparation. 

It allowed them to become familiar with their surroundings and gave us an opportunity to cover key topics with the intent of driving consistency.

It was also an opportunity for the entire officiating team to get together and spend time together, as they hadn’t met in person since the women’s world championships in Czechia last April.

The IIHF also assigned fourteen – seven referees and seven linespersons – out of the twenty-two Olympic Officials to the men’s under-20 Ice Hockey World Championship Division 1B, which is being played at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, the main venue for the women’s Olympic tournament.

In other words, all game officials in that tournament will also be going to the Olympics, giving them an excellent opportunity to work together before the big event. In addition, the officiating coaches assigned to the under-20 Ice Hockey World Championship Division 1B – Stacey Livingston and Vladimir Sindler – are going to the Olympics.

Unlike the male Olympic officials who come from both the NHL and IIHF member nations, the women’s group has worked together a fair amount over the last few years, especially in the last 12–18 months. 

Also, calling men’s games is nothing new to the experienced crew; they all work men’s games in their home countries as well.

The referees and linespersons from the international hockey world and the NHL also held a preparation meeting earlier this season in Buffalo, New York, under the guidance of IIHF Officiating Manager Danny Kurmann.

The Selection Process

The process began immediately after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, intensifying long-term development for female officials. 

• Initial Pool: A targeted group of 25–30 female officials was identified in late 2023 to receive elevated development opportunities.
• Whittling Down (2025): By February 2025, the group consisted of 30 officials. After Olympic qualifications and the 2025 Women’s World Championship in Czechia, the roster was trimmed to 24, then finally to the 22 selected for the Games.
• Final Roster: The IIHF officially nominated 12 referees and 10 linespersons for the women’s tournament. 

Key Selected Officials

The roster is dominated by officials from Canada and the United States, many of whom also officiate in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). 

Final Preparation (Late 2025)

• Milan Camp: In December 2025, all 22 selected officials attended a preparation camp in Milan to familiarize themselves with the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena and Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
• Historic Milestone: Seven of these female officials (three referees and four linespersons) recently made history by officiating the Men’s Under-20 World Championship Division 1B in Milan as part of their Olympic preparation.
• Officiating Coaches: The program is led by a veteran coaching staff including Vanessa Stratton (Canada), Stacey Livingston (USA), and Melissa Szkola (USA).