Referee's Room
The intent of this page is to bridge that sometimes large gap between you as the Player/Parent/Coach/Manager and the Officials that work your games. At the end of the day, we're all involved in minor hockey for the same reason: We love the competition, the speed, the skill, the emotion and want to see every game played fairly and safely for everyone on the ice. In the future we'll be adding a Rule Clarification of the week and some of the Officiating documents we memorize to keep those games fair, safe and exciting to be a part of.
Our Officials come from all areas of the game. We have 14 and 15 year olds looking for a way to get extra ice time and learn more of the game to excel at whatever level they're playing at. We have parents who want to give back to the game as their children enjoy minor hockey as much as they did, and we have adult officials who have been wearing "the stripes" longer than most of us have been alive, and stay out there for the pure love of the game.
The elephant in the room is that you may be here because of a complaint, or saw a "bad call". Our Officials are not perfect (though we strive for excellence every time we step on the ice) and will probably miss something or have a bad game. They're no different than your 10 year old missing an assignment in overtime causing the other team to score a game winning goal. If you wouldn't scream obscenities at your child for making a mistake, why is it OK to do it to the 15 year old wearing a striped jersey? The hardest part of being an Official is viewing angles. That clear hook you saw from the top row of the Civic Center stands 100 feet away looks very different to the Official in tight to the play on the opposite side of the players. We strive to fight for the best angle to see every play, but it's an impossible task for 2 (or 3) Officials to see everything on the ice from every angle to be perfect every game.
In the event you do have a constructive complaint (we also accept compliments), please use your Chain of Command. My inbox is also open directly if you have a non-specific rules question/clarification. When the Parents/Players/Coaches/Managers/Officials are all on the same page, we can sit back and enjoy a hard fought, safe and fair hockey game. After all, our Officials get the best seat in the house to see what your child/player can do on the ice.
Recruiting
Every year we hire new officials to keep our association strong. As one of the largest associations in District 5, we usually have close to 40 officials certified every year. Our recruiting drive normally starts end July/early August once we get an idea of how many officials aren't returning for the season. We run a tryout ice late August that mostly focuses on age-appropriate skating ability. This is is critical as we must be the best skaters on the ice to both stay safe/out of the play and get to the right position to make the correct call. For more information see below:
GPRA Frequently Asked Questions
GPRA New Officials Equipment Guide
GPRA Application Form
Officiating Resources
Hockey Canada Rule Change Summary 2020-2021
HEO Referee Pay Rates 2020-2023