As hockey season nears, concerns about a shortage of referees begin to arise.
The referee-in-chief of Hockey New Brunswick said more than 400 new officials were recruited last year.
However, Tim Skinner also noted there is a consistent annual attrition rate of around 30 per cent.
That reduction, he said, can be linked to the referee shortage experienced during COVID. The stress of overseeing numerous games each week led many seasoned officials to take up new pastimes, and the high expenses associated with equipment repairs also played a crucial role.
“The abuse that they take at the hand of coaches, players, parents, and they just feel ‘you know what, it’s just not worth it,'” said Skinner.
Skinner calls it “Don Cherry Syndrome,” where the former television commentator for Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada would always “give it” to hockey officials and linesmen. He believes we have to change the parents’ mindset that they have the right to verbally abuse referees.
“When we’re in the classroom and teaching new officials, we try to really work on that fact that when people holler at officials, they don’t know who that person is, and just because you have an official uniform on they believe they have that right to holler and yell, which they really don’t,” said Skinner.
“Some of our officials are able to absorb that and realize it’s not them, but then we do have a few that take it personally and think ‘you know what, it’s just not worth it.”
Since becoming a part of Hockey New Brunswick in 1982, Skinner has noted that each year, at least one parent has been asked to exit the arena. He recognizes that hockey can stir strong emotions, yet he emphasizes that officials, coaches and players are all human and prone to errors.
Skinner insists that his officials focus on two key principles: ensuring the safety of the game and maintaining fairness.
He emphasized a significant initiative launched by Hockey New Brunswick: the implementation of a green armband. Originally introduced by Hockey Quebec in 2020, this armband will be worn on the left arm by all officials under 18, symbolizing a strong stance against harassment and abuse towards officials.
“We are trying to get everybody on the same page and need to take the emotion out of hockey and understand exactly what we are trying to do and allow everybody to do that at the same time,” added Skinner.
