Team Stripes Podcast

In this episode we talk to AHL Referee, Olympic Referee, and all-around good guy, Tim Mayer. When it comes to officials to look up to - Tim is a great role model. He has excelled on the ice, having worked in the AHL for a good many seasons, and even got the nod to officiate in the 2018 winter olympics! During the interview, we touch on his career, and talk about those "off-ice" elements like bring...

In this episode, we talk with former high-level official, Stephanie Normand. Stephanie worked the highest ranks of female hockey, including a trip to Torino for the 2006 Olympics. In this episode, Stephanie discusses her career, the hurdles she had to overcome, as well as advice she has for female officials. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoTeamStripes/ Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram...

In this podcast we talk with Zach Roberts - who works in the AHL and ECHL (among other leagues). He is also well known for his work running the Pittsburgh Elite Officiating Camps and other programs for officials. Zach is a great guy who has a lot of great advice for aspiring officials. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoTeamStripes/ Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/goteamstripes/

In episode 24, we talk with former NHL referee, Greg Kimmerly. Greg worked for 20 years in the NHL, and has gathered a lot of experience and insight into the art of officiating. During the episode, we ask him a lot of questions that are referee specific, such as what goes into calling a penalty? How do we make impact calls? How do we communicate properly with coaches and players? And how to work t...

In this episode, we speak with Darren Kuz, who is the Regional Coordinator for the North Central zone in Alberta. We reached out to Darren because he has done a great job in recruiting and retaining referees in his area. In fact, his rates of retention are stronger than both the national and provincial rates - and he is trying to make them even better! Tune in to see some of the programs Darren ha...

In this episode, we talk with Andy Hudson, who is the Development & Education Coordinator for the Missouri Ice Hockey Officials Association. Andy has helped to turn around his association from declining numbers of referees, to seeing increasing numbers each year. Andy has a great strategy for retaining referees, and offers lots of great advice for associations in terms of helping their members. Th...

In this episode, we talk with Terrell Rose, who is now the Director of Referee Development for New England. He is also the lead seminar instructor for Connecticut. We talk about what he says as the main issue facing his referees, and what he thinks we can do to improve retention. This is the first episode in a series on referee retention. Stay tuned for a few more to follow. Like us on Facebook: w...

On this episode, we talk with Michel Voyer, who is the director of the California Referee School. Heading into their 30th anniversary of the camp, Michel talks about how he started the yearly tradition and how it became so popular for referees. He also talks about advice for making learning fun for referees, and advice for coaching officials. This is a great episode that you won't want to miss! Yo...

For this episode we interview former WHA/NHL Linesman, Wayne Bonney. Wayne got an early start to officiating, and reached the WHA at the tender age of 18. He encountered quite a bit of success and got to work the WHA finals before making the switch to the NHL along with five other WHA officials. Wayne had a trememdous career, working almost 2,500 games, including five trips to the Stanley Cup Fina...

In episode 18, we talk with former NHL linesman Andy McElman. Andy worked 1500 NHL games, actually retiring on his 1500th game. He has a unique journey because he was released by the NHL, before working his way back into the league. Andy has worked an NHL All-Star game, the Winter Classic in Wrigley Field, as well as the Olympic games in Sochi. He is currently the director of officiating for the S...

In episode 17, we are joined by Keith Kaval. Keith was the first North American referee to work in the KHL. Prior to that Keith has worked in the AHL, ECHL, NCAA, IIHF, among other leagues. He is currently the director of officiating for the NAHL. In this episode, Keith shares his refereeing journey, talking about how he started out in goalie skates, to working professionally, to working high-prof...

In this episode, we talk with QMJHL Linesman Mat Hicks. Mat just completed his 7th season in the "Q" - topping it off by working the league finals, the President's Cup. This year he also got to work the World Junior A Challenge, as well as the CIS Nationals. In this episode we talk about his career, some stories from the ice, advice for up-and-coming referees and linesmen, as well as a look into m...

In this episode, we talk with former AHL veteran referee Jamie Koharski. We begin by talking about his career and his involvement in instructing young officials (http://dkrefcamps.com/), before talking about how to handle life on the road as a referee. Many referees know the struggle of needing to make those long treks - and Jamie was no stranger to that. Tune in to hear about how Jamie handled li...

In this episode, we talk with NHL Linesman Vaughan Rody. Vaughan has worked more than 1,000 NHL games, including working two Heritage Classics, the 2016 NHL All-Star game, as well as the NHL’s 2017 China Games. Vaughan is also committed to helping others improve their skating skills, as he is the owner of Pro Edge Power Skating (https://www.proedgeskating.com/). In this episode we talk about his c...

In this episode we talk with former NHL referee Paul Stewart. Before refereeing he played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, finishing his career with the Quebec Nordiques. As a referee, he worked over 1,000 regular season games, 49 playoff games, the Canada Cup in 1987 and 1991, along with two All-Star games. In this episode, we talk about his career, how the gam...

In this episode, we talk with two up-and-coming officials about communication and teamwork. Alex Estabrooks is a Junior A and Midget AAA referee who has moved up the officiating ranks quickly, and has worked tournaments such as the Atlantic Canada Cup. Logan Bunn is a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Linesman who has worked events such as the World Junior A Challenge. They both offer thei...

On this week’s episode we sit down with Eric Arrigo, owner of HockeyRefShop.com. Eric has a very interesting story behind how he invented the popular “reversible referee jersey” and launched his business. We talk about looking professional, sticking through the tough times, and how to give back to the referee community. Eric is a great guy both on and off the ice – and it’s an episode you won’t wa...

In this episode, we talk with Rejean Amyot, one of the local "legends" of officiating in Ottawa. Rejean has an impressive background, and has refereed in the OHL, WHL, CIS, CCHL, and professional leagues, among many other experiences. "Reggie" as he is known to many is also well known for preaching rule knowledge, and this episode is no different, as he throws questions our way. Do you know the an...

In Episode 8, we catch up with veteran official Chris Baron, who had stints working professional hockey, and NCAA, and was a member of the United States Officiating Development Program. In this podcast, we talk about how to advance in your career, handling working with different leagues and rulebooks, as well as being smart on social media. An episode you won't want to miss!

In this podcast - we talk to Shawn Corcoran, someone who has written about the qualities and skills that hockey referees must possess, and what they can learn from the role. We ask him about this and more on this weeks episode. This is especially great if you are considering becoming a referee, or have a son/cousin/nephew/etc also thinking about joining the team in stripes!

In this episode, we talk about how to deal with coaches and parents as a hockey referee. We've all been there - those situations where you are dealing with an angry and emotional coach. How do you deal with it? Find out in this episode with special guest Adam Allard.

During this episode we have a wide-ranging discussion with experienced referees TJ Courtney and Mike Kehoe. TJ is a level 6 official with Hockey Canada, and Mike is a former professional linesman. Tune-in to this chat which touches on playoff performances, goalie interference, and how to survive living with a referee. An episode you can't miss!

In this episode we talk with special guest Craig MacKay, a veteran official who has worked up to CIS hockey in Canada. Craig is a great guy on and off the ice and now runs a mentorship program for young officials in Ottawa. This podcast involves a great discussion on how to mentor young officials.