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Want to Pursue Officiating? Some Thoughts

June 17, 2016, 9:17 AM ET [25 Comments]
Paul Stewart
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

Between my pro playing and officiating careers, I have been involved in dozens and dozens of hockey training camps since 1975 -- 41 formal camps and scores of teaching camps -- first as a participant and later as the director or a guest instructor. It's been 33 years since I went to my first officiating camp with the NHL in Toronto in 1983. A lot of pucks have gone over (or through) the net since then.

I wouldn't trade that life for anyone's. However, I did get a bit tired of eating dinner out of hotel mini-bar food offerings late at night... not that I didn't enjoy a $12 bag of pretzels as much as the next person (haha).

Far and away, the number one PM question I get here on HockeyBuzz as well as on Twitter falls along these lines: "I have played some hockey and officiated some beer league games but now I would like to get more serious about officiating. I am X years old. Any advice?"

Trying to educate young officials takes time and patience. Time and patience is something with some latitude will eventually show in accomplished arbiters on the ice. In the meantime, all those that buy tickets want instant perfection. Sorry to disappoint but it takes time to bake a good cake and much more time to build a good referee or linesman.

I've run down this list before, but repetition of the basics is key to effective education. These are the raw materials I look for in an aspiring official:

1) Athletic ability. This is of paramount importance. A person who can skate, has agility, flexibility and strength will be favored over a couch potato with a flabby body and a soft disposition.

2) Passion for the game: This official will find a way to get to the game despite flat tires, overheated engines, traffic or snow. The game must go on.

3) The courage of a Spitfire pilot: I want someone who will stand by himself and his teammates despite all the opinions or crowds up against him. The official must have a strong belief in himself.

If training officials was like instant oatmeal -- just add water and stir -- anyone could be a hockey ref or linesman. Sorry but it takes time. That is bad news, actually, because we are in a recruiting crisis worldwide to find people with both the ability and interest to pursue officiating as well as the patience and thick skin it takes to deal with the abuse heaped on all officials but especially the young, developing ones.

My sincere hope is to try to get more former players, especially ones who played at reasonably high levels, to seek a new life in the game as an official. For the candidate, it's the toughest challenge but also the biggest intrinsic reward to go from serving a team to serving the game itself. For the benefit of the game and the craft of officiating, there is no substitute for hockey sense whether we're talking about playing or officiating. The greatest athlete in the world still isn't going to make much of a hockey official if he lacks hockey sense.

I also tell aspiring officials that it's vital to find the right trainers. I started out in Bruce Hood's officiating school, and it pointed me in the right direction. Not every officiating clinic or instructor is created equal. Do your homework, because mileage will vary. Additionally, just because someone is an experienced official does not automatically make that person a good teacher, just as not all former players make for good coaches.

To me, anyone can point out a mistake. The value of teaching from personal experience is to teach the officials from their own backgrounds not to make the same errors again and again. A good officiating teacher are furnishing mental tools for the young officials' mental tool boxes. Officials are a team and we need to work together. At the same time, officiating is also about competing and the more people we have out there vying for spots, the better the officiating will be.

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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.

Today, Stewart is the director of hockey officiating for the ECAC.

The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.

In addition to his blogs for HockeyBuzz every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Stewart writes a column every Wednesday for the Huffington Post.
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