NEW ENGLAND OFFICIAL SELECTED FOR GOLD !!

Salt Lake City, Utah

 

In case some of you heard that the New England Officiating Program is dead or dieing I just want to tell you that those rumors are dead wrong. You ask how I know this?  Well let me tell you a little story.

 

Several years ago a college student at the University of Maine thought that maybe officiating would help round out a career playing and coaching ice hockey. Contact was made with the Supervisor of Officials for Maine - Mike Donohoe - and the process was started. It soon became evident that ice hockey officiating was  more rewarding than anything else this person had experienced in hockey. Now began the era of refinement which included yearly officiating seminars and tests, summer camps, advanced camps and international camps with the attracting light at the end being the Olympics. No that was not the initial goal but when the camp process seemed to point to higher levels, it became an obtainable goal. The training received from USA Hockey resulted in high school and college officiating assignments along with USA Hockey selection for national tournaments throughout the country. Finally it lead to certification by the International Ice Hockey Federation and international assignments all around the world. Along with these good things, it also resulted in traveling to far parts of the globe, it resulted in being away from family and friends for extended periods of time and often resulted in financial loss to the family.

 

Final selection to the Olympic Ice Hockey officiating staff seemed to be the most exciting thing which could happen to an official and this was accomplished when the IIHF announced the final list of officials for the Salt Lake Olympics.  After officiating at Salt Lake City Olympics, what else could happen to make this a year to remember? After all, there are only three American Referees out of 25,000 registered within the USA program to be honored by selection to this international tournament. Well there is one more step which will forever make this a year to remember and that was the announcement that a New England official was selected to referee the Gold Metal Game of the woman's ice hockey competition in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

We are proud of Stacy Livingston of Maine since she will be on the ice for the Gold Metal Game as the Referee. Even knowing that the finalists in this years Gold Metal competition would include the USA and most likely the Canadian teams, the IIHF officials selected Stacey (an American) to work this high profile and critical game. Stacey started her officiating career in the New England District program and continues to be involved in that same program. Our congratulations go out to Stacey and her family on her selection to this assignment. We know that her husband Jay and son plus her officiating family will be glued to the television broadcast at 7:00 pm February 21, 2002.

 

Congratulations Stacey !!!