ST. PAUL 鈥� If you鈥檝e ever followed your favorite team on the road, you know what it is like to be in a hostile arena and have thousands of enemies. The 18 referees that work for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference under Don Adam know that feeling every time they put on the black-and-white stripes and step onto the ice.
Much has been made in recent years about the growing shortage of officials in all sports 鈥� not just hockey 鈥� as fewer parents are willing to let their children get thrown into that hostile environment. Many well-publicized YouTube videos can be found showing out-of-control coaches and parents verbally abusing officials, and in extreme cases, even physically attacking referees.
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While there is almost no physical contact with referees in college hockey, Adam said that when they bring in an official to work in one of the NCHC鈥檚 eight arenas, they make sure the individual is aware of the atmosphere they will face.
鈥淵ou know how to handle pressure, how to handle conflict, how to de-escalate situations, how to remain focused in settings like that,鈥� said Adam, the NCHC鈥檚 supervisor of officials. 鈥淎nywhere that you have 5,000 to 12,000 people in a building and nobody鈥檚 your friend except for the people you鈥檙e on the ice with 鈥� the guys that are able to do that have to be mentally strong, they have to be able to concentrate and they have to have a lot of self-confidence.鈥�
Clearly, not everyone has those traits.
Adam said in his experience the increase in the number of hockey players and teams has contributed to the officials shortage.
鈥淲e鈥檙e almost in crisis mode as far as that goes. It鈥檚 not so much that they鈥檙e not signing up the same number of people that we have in the past, it鈥檚 that hockey is out-growing the number of officials we have,鈥� said Adam, who is a police officer in a Denver suburb when he鈥檚 not working in hockey. 鈥淎t some point in the near future, there鈥檚 going to be an extreme shortage of referees. In some parts of the country, they鈥檙e already experiencing that.鈥�
He did praise efforts by the National Hockey League to encourage more youth hockey players to also try their hand at officiating, which is how he got his start in officiating. And Adam admitted that being on the ice for a big game, even if you鈥檙e not holding a hockey stick, and even if the raucous crowd is clearly not on your side, can be the thrill of a lifetime.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no different for a referee than it is for a player. Players and coaches know when the games are big and know what鈥檚 on the line. Usually the games with big crowds, the games that are feisty, the games with a lot of things going on, those are the games players love to play in and coaches love to coach in,鈥� he said. 鈥淩eferees love to work those games as well.
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"It鈥檚 a challenging aspect of the game. I could put a lot of referees on a game that has three penalties. But you really find out if guys can referee when they work a game that鈥檚 going to have 15-20 penalties, and you probably could鈥檝e called 25 more. So they鈥檙e fun for the referees just like they are for the players and coaches.鈥�
The NCHC will also have referees wear microphones for the first time this season. It was done in a few games last year and proved popular with fans.
