Refereeing in Drumheller can lead to some great opportunities, including sharing the ice with Guy Lafleur. Drumheller is hosting a clinic for prospective referees. To register go to www.czrc.ab.ca.
Hockey season is gearing up and Drumheller has a tradition of great action on the ice.
But great hockey is dependent on a number of things; great attitudes, great coaching and great officials.
Drumheller has a history of great officiating, right up to today, and there is always a need for more referees.
“Good hockey doesn’t exist without good officials,” said local referee Greg Lemieux. “We need good officials all the time. If there are no officials, the games do not happen. Something we have seen in Drumheller over the last couple years is we get new officials, but we have trouble keeping them.”
He said while they have officials start at the lower age brackets, they often don’t move up to officiate for bantams or midget.
Lemieux explains that typically they have over 20 officials, however in the last couple years they have had to pull referees from out of town.
The lack of referees can affect the pocketbook of the league. If officials have to be brought in from other communities, they have to pay for travel.
Lemieux says that refereeing can allow you to see the game from a different perspective, keep in shape and earn a few dollars on the side. Often they are father–son teams on the ice
While it appears Drumheller is a humble place to start a career in refereeing, Tyler Jensen is now in the top percentile of referees in the province, working in AJHL games.
To get more referees signed up, the local association is holding a clinic on October 5. Lemieux said as long as a referee works five games over the season, the clinic fees are reimbursed.
“It costs is nothing to do, which is a big plus,” said Lemieux.
To register for the clinic go to www.czrc.ab.ca.
For more information, contact Lemieux at Lemieux.greg@gmail.com
