Across all sports, shortage of officials at the younger ages is a growing concern. Hockey is in dire need of a recruiting push for young, dedicated officials who want to give back to the game and carve out a vastly rewarding, if not demanding, career.
There is no better role model than Stephen Walkom, a North Bay, Ont., native who currently serves as director of officiating for the National Hockey League. Walkom worked as an NHL on-ice official from 1990 to 2004, then again from 2009-13. He officiated more than 600 regular-season games, 84 Stanley Cup playoff games, the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, 2004 World Cup of Hockey and two Stanley Cup finals. Walkom also was president of the National Hockey League Officials Association, the labor union that represents NHL referees and linesmen.
He returned to his position as the NHL’s director of officiating in August 2013. Billy Jaffe caught up with Walkom this summer.
Jaffe: How old were you when you started officiating?
Stephen Walkom: I was about 12, 13 years old. The timekeeper was making 75 cents, and we heard the refs were making a buck fifty, so I said, “Hey, I can double my pay.” My father used to make us sit in our hockey equipment when we moved to the indoor rink. We would wait, we’d timekeep for four games, then we’d have to put our skates on and practice. Reffing was a little more money, another (soda) pop and chips … we were happy to get the treats.
Jaffe: How well do you remember your first professional game, whether it was the American League, the old IHL … where was that, and how well do you remember it?
Walkom: I remember my first pro game was in Philadelphia. The reason I remember it was that was the first time my parents ever flew on a plane together. It was a pretty big event. Winnipeg was playing — they were in the league back then, now they are back playing — so that was good.
Jaffe: So how many years total did you officiate in the league, and how many years have you been director of officiating in the NHL?
Walkom: This time around, I’ve been doing it for five years. I went to training camp in 1988, and I worked minor pro for five, six years, made my way to the NHL in ’94. I was on the ice until the lockout, then off the ice for four years, then back on for four years. So, way too many years to add up, Billy.
Jaffe: What makes a great official in this era in the National Hockey League now?
Walkom: I think an official who really understands the game of hockey, understands the players within the game, the speed of the game, where the game is flowing and moving to, and he understands the NHL standard. He knows when to interject and call a penalty and when not to call a penalty. It’s fast out there … everybody expects perfection, and he needs to know that it’s there for the players and his job is to uphold the integrity of the game.
Jaffe: There’s a lot of youth hockey going on across North America. A lot now. That means you need a lot of local youth officials. What would your advice be to a youthful official or an association dealing with officials? Because it’s not an easy job, and I think that’s one of the things that people get scared about, going into officiating — how do they deal with certain things. What would you suggest to a person like that?
Walkom: I would say, stay in hockey playing as long as you can. And while you are playing, if you want to give back to the game and you want to work on your skating, officiate. Go out there and officiate so you get a sense and a feel for what’s fair in the game and what’s unfair in the game. It’s a good way to hone your skating skills. It’s a good way to give back to the game. And it keeps you around the rink. Most people who play hockey, they are hockey junkies. Another hour or two at the rink every day is good for you.
Jaffe: What kind of advice do you give people who are in that teenage tweener, where they are good at hockey but not sure where they are going to go? What do you say to them, to get to that next level of officiating? Why should they stay in it at that level?
Walkom: When they are playing hockey, they’re in hockey shape. They can skate and keep up with the game, because they’re in the game. And you don’t want to stay out of the game too long, because if you do, you’re going to lose those skills. It’s an excellent way to not only stay in the game from a physical perspective, but to be on a team. Those two or three people you go on the ice with to do a hockey game, it’s like being on a hockey team — you’re in a locker room. And it’s a great way to stay in the sport. You find that people who are around the game of hockey, they love the game. When you leave it, you’re always trying to find a way to get back in it. Refereeing, lining is a great way to be in the game.
Jaffe: Refereeing in the National Hockey League, there is a lot of scrutiny now, the quest for perfection. There’s a lot of things in this world that you strive for perfection, and it’s almost impossible to achieve. What do you say with your young guys, or even the guys that you work with now, when they make a mistake? Are these just lessons that they have to deal with?
Walkom: The biggest thing for an official is, when you make a mistake, just man up. It’s OK to admit you made a mistake when you’re working a hockey game. It’s OK to admit that you miss something when you’re working a hockey game. You can’t think that you’re perfect, you can’t be out there for the power. You’ve got to be out there because you are serving the game — I think that’s vital. When officials come to the rink, just work hard. You owe it to the game to work hard. Hustle, for the players especially, for the parents, for the coaches. Everybody out there, they are not always full of kindness. They are there to win, they want to win, and you get in the way of it. Understand that, and don’t take it personally.
