In the world of ice hockey, referees play a crucial role in maintaining the flow and integrity of the game – whether it’s social club hockey or our highest level men’s and women’s national leagues, without referees, we wouldn’t have ice hockey.
As part of its commitment to developing officials, the NZIHF recently sent up and coming referee Aidan Todd to an officials’ development camp in Canada, aimed at elevating skills and bringing new knowledge back to New Zealand.
“It was great to meet people who are just as passionate about the sport as I am, and receiving so much ice time at that level helped me to develop my skills much faster than what I’ve ever refereed before” said Aidan.
Spanning nearly three weeks, with two intensive weeks at the West Coast Hockey Prep Camp, the primary goal was to refine attendees’ officiating skills and absorb as much knowledge as possible from some of the best in the business.
The camp was led by ice hockey legend Nate Leslie, founder of Leslie Global Sports, who is no stranger to New Zealand, having previously participated in numerous youth development camps throughout the country. The officiating side of the camp was led by an impressive lineup of officials with decades of combined experience. Brad Lazarowich, a linesman with over 30 years in the NHL, took charge alongside Logan Parsons, a linesman currently working in the AHL and ECHL, and Owen Lohmeier, a BCHL official who is set to attend the NHL combine for referees this year.
The experience and knowledge shared by these veteran officials were invaluable to the camp participants, which included roughly 25 referees, mostly from Canada and the USA, along with an Australian official who joined for the second week.
“Days at the camp were packed with activity” said Aidan. Mornings began with over an hour of ice time, focusing on improving skating and positioning as a referee, followed by scrimmages where the referees took turns officiating their own games. “This hands-on approach meant we could immediately apply what we were learning, and hone our skills and receive feedback in real-game situations.”
The afternoons were dedicated to officiating live games, from U13 to U21 Junior levels. On average, each referee worked about a game and a half per day, often splitting duties to ensure everyone received ample ice time.
During the evenings, legendary NHL referees like Wes McCauley, Kelly Sutherland, and Jay Sharrers joined Zoom calls with the attendees, offering the group a rare opportunity to ask questions and learn from those who have reached the pinnacle of officiating in ice hockey.
Aidan reflected that one of his highlights was exposure to the 4-man officiating system. “During the camp we only worked the 4-man officials system, of which I was mainly one of the two referees. This was great to learn as we do not get many opportunities here in New Zealand to work 4-man games – it means when I do get the chance to be a head referee in a 4-man system I know what to do and how to control the game effectively.”
When asked if Aidan would recommend the camp to other referees, the answer was an enthusiastic “yes.” “I would 100% recommend this camp for any official that is wanting to take their officiating to the next level as it was such a great experience all around and there are so many people that you can learn from”.
The exposure to such a high level of hockey had added benefits too – “working such high-level hockey games has given me a confidence boost and shown that I am more than capable of refereeing levels above what we have in New Zealand, and the skills and knowledge I learned is something I am now able to share with other officials here at home”
Our leagues depend on the quality of our referees, and with ongoing investments in training and development, we are ensuring that the standard of officiating continues to rise, just as the sport itself grows across the country.
