ROCHESTER, NY American Hockey League the regular season begins on October 2. Of course, the players have to be in great shape and the refereeing staff has to keep up with them. The AHL Officials Training Camp in Rochester hosted more than 90 AHL referees, linesmen and coaches from around the country.
Accelerating, changing directions, and stopping on a dime are all requirements for keeping up with professional hockey players, getting layoffs, and making calls. It takes some serious skating ability.
“I think most of our officials have a playing background. You come from a team and you don’t really realize that our officials are a team,” said Steven Thomson, AHL vice president of operations. “The landscape of office has changed a lot and it takes a special person to want to go out there and mock any decision they make. That’s for sure. We’ve seen improvements and we’re working with the NHL to find people who have played the game and are coming back and serving in a different capacity. For those who want to stay active in the game, we’re seeing a lot of success.”
They work on almost every part of the training camp job, including skating, physical conditioning, and of course any rule changes and instructions. It’s a busy few days. In many ways, Thompson says the umpires are the 33rd team in the league.
“We’re as far west as Abbotsford, British Columbia, and as far east as Charlotte, North Carolina, so we’re pretty spread across North America. It’s a big league and it’s a lot of travel for everyone involved,” Thomson said.
Adam Tobias grew up playing hockey in Buffalo, started refereeing at a young age and made it to the AHL. He’s up there with the best referees in the game and is happy to be a part of it.
“It’s really fun to be there. I just love the game and I miss it when I’m not playing,” Tobias said.
This crew skates, sees the play and makes the call at full speed. When you watch an AHL game this season, watch the personnel in the streak. They are not just officials. they are athletes who love the game.
Taking a closer look AHL official 12 of the judges are from New York State.
