CIHL hires veteran official
The new Canadian International Hockey League has named veteran referee George Harrison as its Director of Officiating effective the 2014-2015 season.
Harrison has spent more than 15 years as an official in the professional ranks with stops in the Colonial Hockey League, United Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, Central Hockey League and Western Professional Hockey League.
Totalling more than 1,500 professional games in his officiating career, Harrison has also worked finals and all-star games within the ECHL, CHL and UHL.
In addition to doing games, Harrison held the Referee in Chief position for the United Hockey League between 1998 and 2000 and held the same position for the Greater Metro Jr. A Hockey League from 2006-2009.
“The CIHL is fortunate to have a proven hockey statesman like Mr. Harrison involved with the overseeing of our league’s on-ice officials,” said CIHL President Tim Clayden. “Officiating is always a concern at this level of play and having George and his experience heading up our game officials gives our league ownership, management, coaches and especially our players a stable, experienced resource that we all will be able to count on as we launch our CIHL programs next September.”
CIHL Vice-President Dean Pauli noted that Harrison’s “resume speaks for itself. His experience and leadership on and off the ice will undoubtedly benefit our on-ice game officials and the CIHL as a whole. George will ensure all CIHL officials are taken seriously and have a voice in all discipline decisions handed down.”
As for Harrison, he said: “I would like to thank the CIHL for the opportunity to return to hockey and help develop younger officials. The CIHL looks to be a very-exciting league and I will do my best to bring our level of officiating to what is expected at the Junior A level of play.”
Harrison said the CIHL, under the leadership of Clayden and Pauli, is a major positive.
“With their background and leadership and the CIHL vision, I very much look forward to being a part of a very exciting, very progressive and visionary junior league that is making franchise-operational standards a priority along with the development and promotion of every student-athlete player.”
Will referees and linesmen that work CIHL games be permitted to work in HC sanctioned leagues?
Some people aspire to move up the ranks in officiating. Will this stunt their progress?
That would be something you would have to ask Hockey Canada. The CIHL is not using any of Hockey Canada’s infrastructure, will probably be going with the NCAA rule book I would imagine, and would train the officials as such. Also since they are with a national sanctioning body like the AAU I don’t see why they would put restrictions on what people can officiate.
“The CIHL is not using any of Hockey Canada’s infrastructure”…..wrong.
Where did all these refs and linesmen get their training? at NOHA, OHA and OMHA camps sponsored by HC.
As a fan of the GMHL I am happy the bracbridge team is staying in the GMHL with a new owner… To much drama with this other guy.
Nugget.ca also has the commissioner of the NOJHL talking about another team in North Bay, although its good, I hope these owners have deep pockets.
So if a bunch of USA Hockey Officials decide to come over to a Hockey Canada league that would be wrong too? Also lets be honest Hockey Canada’s officiating development program isn’t that great, especially when you have to pay $300+ per year to be an official. Just because they sat in a clinic for a few hours doesn’t mean Hockey Canada trained them.
Do you really want Americans coming over to work here?
And the CIHL has a better development system for its official?
You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, do you?
I was just making an example and Luc I do know what I’m talking about. I have experienced both USA Hockey and Hockey Canada training and I have to tell you USA Hockey is much better. All their trainers are volunteers, you actually get ice time where they can teach you on ice skills. Also all their junior camps etc are free and the recertification fee every year is $70-$90 at the most. I know officials that are having to pay $450 for clinics. Where is that money going? I’m not saying that the CIHL is going to be a better development system, I’m saying that officials really don’t get much training from your normal everyday clinic most of their training comes in practice for example real games and frankly the USA Hockey officials program is a much better training program then anything Hockey Canada has besides Major Junior.
Where do you ref Luc?
I agree with Luc, but both points are valid.
RR is this new ref the sane ref that was let go by the GMHL?
Mitch, I do not know the reasons behind George Harrison’s departure from the GMHL.
Tyler-If USA Hockey referee training is so much better then I suggest you stay there. When the C shows up in your town, ref it.
The CIHL will operate in Canada for the coming year and will use HC infrastructure that all minor hockey and Junior hockey players have paid for through fees.
I’m under the assumption that referees that work GMHL/CIHL games cannot work in HC sanctioned leagues. So all you aspiring refs out there, if that’s the case, make your choice wisely.
On one hand you may get 2 CIHL games and 2 GMHL games a week of work but might give up an unlimited number of games in sanctioned leagues to work in.
Luc I don’t know why you are getting so bent out of shape.
All I am asking is where are all these referee fees going to that these officials are paying to Hockey Canada? Why is it so much cheaper south of the border?
Referees are independent contractors and should be free to officiate where ever they want without restriction is my main point.
Ask your referee association where the disbursement of fees go?
Independent contractors you say? not if HC has anything to say about it.
I know refs that can’t work in sanctioned leagues because they are working in the G.
Unless you have dual citizenship Tyler, I don’t think you are free to work on both sides of the border unless you get a work permit.
HC tried to bully the GMHL in the same way. They still have a 20 team league going…Why would HC want to take money out of ref’s pockets? I’m very much pro-Canada hockey but having taken clinic after clinic for coaching, training, you name it, am very disillusioned by the constant money grabs and bullying when competition shows up on the block. If a ref is certified to ref HC sanctioned games or NCAA style games, let them.
That’s all I’m saying Brian. I don’t understand the constant money grabs from Hockey Canada. Now they have this new parent clinic that every parent has to pay for and attend for a fee. Where does it end?
Hockey Canada may say that these refs are banned if they ref the independent leagues but I believe this wouldn’t hold up very well in court. I could see your point Luc if these officials were employed full time with Hockey Canada but they are not and should be able to ref where they want.
By the way I am a dual citizen who was raised in Canada started my officiating there and then moved to the states.
Tyler I’m an on ice official with HC and we had to pay $125 not $325. That $125 includes A rulebook, A 5 hour rule session at a high school, workbook, exam, and being insured by Hockey Canada to ref +150 games. Doing about 5 games you make that money back.
Hawk,
My brother is going for his level 4 I believe and I’m pretty sure he’s paying $300 or so.