No one gets in the way as he powers over the red line, slightly behind the play. He’s the best skater on the ice and for the moment he’s invisible, just the way any good referee would have it.

Willy's still working on his dream game — to complete three periods without making a controversial call or being the target of abuse.

With his whistle he has the power to control the contest, allowing the momentum to build towards an exultant conclusion, slowing things down when the emotions are about to erupt.

When he started as a ref, only months after his days as a player ended, he carried his competitive drive to the ice. He craved control and feasted on the attention. The resulting insults and anger modified his attitude until he began to understand that success came from being self-assured and subtle.

His bosses were impressed and picked him to don the red armband during the most competitive playoff games. He was sure this new career would surpass any dreams he had as a player… until one memorable championship game at the hometown rink.

This hockey shrine with its arched roof and folding wooden seats was packed to the bare wooden rafters. Young fans were decked out in team colours and challenged one another with their voices and their noisemakers. The place was rocking.

The game was tied into the third period. The Sharks and the Warriors, evenly matched throughout the season, were pounding each other as they battled for supremacy. It was a brilliant example of tough, artistic hockey.

One of the Warriors’ best players hurled himself into the corner after a loose puck. He was closely followed by a Sharks defenceman who was determined to eliminate him from the play. Just as the Shark delivered the check the Warrior turned into the boards; it looked like a hit from behind.

Willy left his hand at his side. In another contest he might have signalled a penalty, but in this game, at this moment, he refrained. The Warriors fans howled.

Willy positioned himself on the red line where he could watch the play develop. The puck blasted toward the goalie who flung his catcher into the air to make the save. Willy brought the whistle to his mouth and edged closer to the net as the puck bounced out of the goalie’s glove onto the ice and barely rolled over the red line. The goalie swung his stick and smashed the puck out of reach, but it was too late. Willy blew his whistle and pointed dramatically to the net. It was a goal!

The Warriors were in disbelief. Their fans roared and the team’s head coach leapt to the top of the bench, screaming his anger. He was convinced the puck never crossed the line, even though he was half a rink away.

Willy watched the Sharks on-ice celebrations and saw that his linesmen were positioned between the two teams to prevent any stupidity. He slowly skated backwards to the timekeeper’s bench, keeping his eye on the situation. He took his time, letting the emotions swell to a crescendo.

He watched the timekeeper record the goal and started to chat about school and the recent cold spell until he could sense the noise begin to fall off a bit. With the puck in his hand he skated to centre ice, ready for the faceoff.

The players were set but the raging coach was out of control. Willy calmly skated to the Warriors’ bench. "I know it's a big game,” he said evenly, leaning over the boards, “but I was in perfect position and saw the puck go in. You've got lots of time left here. Don't make me give you a bench penalty."

The coach reached behind him for a water bottle and hurled it onto the ice while directing a stream of obscenities at Willy. The bottle landed nowhere near Willy, but he had no choice.

“That’s two minutes. Get someone into the box and let’s get going.”

The Sharks fans roared their approval but Warriors fans exploded with anger.

A few moments later the Sharks scored again. Their celebration was more exuberant than before and the Warriors supporters became even angrier. A great hockey game had turned into a cauldron of emotions. And Willy was right in the middle.

For the rest of the game there was no scoring. When the final buzzer sounded Willy and the linesmen skated off the ice in a pack and tried to unobtrusively make their way to their dressing room. They edged their way through the hostile crowd.

The three of them slowly stripped off their striped shirts and the rest of their equipment. They rehashed the game as they methodically packed their gear. They planned their route to the arena doors and their cars, and emerged as one, holding their kit bags in front of them for protection. Many of the fans were still milling about but without their stripes the refs were anonymous and were able to sneak out.

That night Willy received a threatening phone call. The next morning the snowman his neighbours’ kids had built on his front lawn was smashed to the ground. Willy decided never to do a big championship game again.

As his ambitions receded, his appreciation of the game increased. He works hard at being in the right place to see the play and prides himself on his openness. He only works house league games where he can explain the rules to the players and chat with the coaches. His canvas is smaller and more precise as he quietly goes about perfecting his craft, always searching for that perfect game.

  [Email Ken here]

I am a big fan of your series of stories, and this one certainly hits home.

I am a 15-year-old referee in the Winnipeg Minor hockey system. I see about five games a week and it's been a great experience. However, there was a bad experiance while reffing an A1 Peewee game.

The coach decided not to send a player to the box after a "too many men on the ice" call, voicing enough displeasures and obscenities to feed the world. Well, seeing as he wouldn't send the substitute to the bench, you can imagine how hard it was to tell him he had just received a bench minor.

He exploded as the whole rink was silent. The players, parents, coaches and my fellow referee just watched this coach explode about a two-minuite minor. Eventualy, the rink attendant forced him to leave and the game resumed with the rest of the game going smoothly.

I'm happy you brought up this subject as it is the biggest reason referees quit. People just have to remember before they decide to complain about the refs, it's not an easy job.

We're people who want to give back to the game because it gave us so much.

Micah Goldberg,
Winnipeg, Man.
..........

You hit the perverbial nail on the head. As an official of the game it is truly amazing to see how people react and the reactions you wrote about are so very true. I remain amazed at how level headed individuals forget the true reason why they are at the "game". Silly me, I thought it was for the kids.

Ron Hynes
Leduc, Alta.
..........

Only a few people are blessed with the ability to call that perfect game but rarely do. This gentleman has done what so many officials have done in the past years and that is quit or become less involved.

Hockey is a game which requires rules and someone to enforce them on the ice. This official demonstrated excellent composure and maturity in making the perfect call knowing full well what might happen if he calls against the home team.

My main concern is the way we develop officials. Maybe it is time to look into the procedures in giving a person the right to officiate. A quick one day course in a class room followed by a little examn qualifies that person to officiate.

I see many officials out their blowing the whistle and taking the money but show little or no improvement. We have many programs in place both in hockey and officiating but how effective are they? Where is the
support for the official that makes that call against his home team?
Mr. Wolff I would still be officiating to this day but fro the many injuries I took while serving in the armed forces I had to retire from the sport but I still have a keen eye when I see an official officiate a game of hockey and make them tough calls and be in the right position to make the call.

Gary Pawson
..........

I'm a 25-year US Marine Corps colonel stationed in the Pentagon. I have played the game for over 40 years up into NCAA Div 2 and have been a referee at the college, adult, and youth levels for now 8 years. I have worked the US Midget nationals and am going to be working the ACHA Div 2 Nationals next month. I am also the president of the Southeastern Hockey Officials Association that covers northern Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland with 350 member officials working over 11,000 games.

Having been on each side of the fence as player, coach, ref, parent, and spectator like many of the ref gang, I want to compliment you on your great series of articles. To me, no one has captured the essence of every member of the hockey family as you have. I really appreciate the way you treat the officials' side without the usual rancor and bias that many have done regardless of the sport involved.

The article about wearing the black and white stripes speaks volumes. There are many of us, at the top of the game, that are teetering on the edge of just saying the heck with it and heading back to mite and squirt hockey to work with newer officials and just revelling in the simple joy of playing that the little guys and girls bring to the ice.

But, we all know that those of us that can skate the top levels of the game have to soldier on and keep the game going in spite of the screaming parents that have never played the game, the coaches who usually have never read the rule book, guidebooks, or situations manuals, and the other stray fans with no necks [hidden along with half their faces under their raised coat collar and identified 25 feet away while we're still on the ice] waiting by the door to the locker room to get their two cents worth of berating our work as we pass without even looking us in the eye.

But, the notes we get and chats with those knowing parents, coaches, and friends who are fans of the game validate the effort we put in and make the abuse a bit more tolerable.

It's a a different world now. I was on a first name basis with all the refs in Rhode Island where I grew up. I was a very frequent flier in the penalty box but always in the top 10 in scoring. But, I respected those guys. Now the players rarely want to even make eye contact with a ref let alone say hello or talk about why we call the same thing on a guy every single time out.

I do love the game and am now leaving for tonight's high school playoff games. Just another day in the life....

Keep up the good work. You have a new fan.

William D. Hughes III
USA Hockey Official, Level 4
President/Chief Executive,
Southeastern Hockey Officials Association