Officiating seminar held at Skylands Ice

Stockholm —On Saturday Aug. 19, USA Hockey, the national governing body of ice hockey, held an Officiating Seminar at Skylands Ice World, in Stockholm. The all day seminar is held each summer/fall at approximately a dozen locations within the Atlantic District and a nearly a hundred nation wide. Every ice hockey official registered with USA Hockey must attend at least one full day seminar every year in order to maintain their certification. Each seminar includes both a classroom session and on-ice drills, and at the conclusion of each seminar all returning officials must complete a closed book exam. Skylands Ice World donated the full use of the facility for the program. Bradford Johnson, the general manager, and his staff opened their doors to the officiating seminar. Skylands fully supported the program and has encouraged local involvement since the recent purchase of the facility. According to Bob Salmanowitz, USA Hockey Officiating Seminar Coordinator, plans are already underway for next season’s seminar. The growth of ice hockey in North Jersey has paved the way for the need to educate and recruit new referees. Even though many of the seminar staff already lives in Sussex, Northern Morris and Northern Passaic counties, there are not as many new up and coming officials in the area. This year’s focus was on the “New Standards of Play.” The new standards are similar to the ones adopted by the National Hockey League and will increase the need for skill and speed. The mission of USA Hockey is to place greater emphasis on skating, puck possession, and proper use of body positioning to gain a competitive advantage. The enforcement standard is to reduce restraining infractions, not eliminate body contact. Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous nature. For a complete list and presentation of these standards as well as the entire officiating program, you can go to www.usahockey.com for information.