Hockey Canada Referees and Linesmen Named for 2019/20 IIHF Assignments
As a referee or linesman officiating in Canada, being selected to represent your country at a IIHF assignment is often the pinnacle one can strive for.
With over 30,000 officials in Canada, competition within your own league or province is enormous, let alone across the entire country.
To put it in perspective, there were only 14 male officials and 14 female officials selected to IIHF championships for the 2019-20 season. That puts them in the top 0.09% of officials in all of Canada!
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced the referees and linesman selected to officiate IIHF assignments for the 2019/20 season.
The following Canadian referees and linesmen were selected to officiate this year's men's IIHF Championships:
Referees:
- Olivier Gouin - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- Alexandre Garon - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- Brett Iverson - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- Jonathan Alarie - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- *Jeff Ingram - Men's World Championship Division I Group A - Slovenia
- Mike Campbell - World Junior Championship - Czech Republic
- Fraser Lawrence - World Junior Championship - Czech Republic
- Mike Langin - World Under-18 Championship - United States
- Guillame Labonte - World Under-18 Division I Group A - Slovakia
Linesman:
- Dustin McCrank - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- Maxime Chaput - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- Nathan Vanoosten - Men's World Championship Long List - Switzerland
- *Mike Harrington - Men's World Championship Division I Group A - Slovenia
- Chad Huseby - World Junior Championship - Czech Republic
- Brett Mackey - World Under-18 Championship - United States
* Jeff Ingram & Mike Harrington were also named to the Long List for the top division Men's World Championship in Switzerland
Check out our profiles of each Canadian referee and linesman below!
Brett Iverson (pictured above) is in line to referee at yet another IIHF World Championship. This must be getting to be old hat for Iverson, who has refereed at the past four straight IIHF World Championships, along with the 2018 Winter Olympics. Iverson's IIHF career also includes trips to the World Junior and World Under-18 Championships.
If that isn't enough his resume also includes trips to two Memorial Cups, three WHL Championship series, and multiple CHL/NHL Top Prospects games. Brett has also spent considerable time as a referee in the American Hockey League, and made a trip overseas last year to work in the DEL and Austrian Hockey League.
Another referee at the top of the Hockey Canada ranks for some time, Olivier Gouin (pictured above) is in line to referee at his fourth straight IIHF World Championship. Olivier's IIHF career also includes a selection to the 2018 Winter Olympics, and the 2017 World Under-20 Division I Group A Championship.
Back in North America, Gouin has refereed at two Memorial Cups and two QMJHL President Cups. He has also worked as a referee in the American Hockey League and ECHL.
Alexandre Garon (pictured above) has been named to the IIHF World Championship Long List for the first time. Garon's international refereeing career includes selection to the 2017 IIHF World Under-18 Championships in Slovakia, 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, and the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division I Group A in Kazakhstan.
Garon also referees in the American Hockey League & ECHL. When first hired, he was one of the youngest referees in the American Hockey League.
Jonathan Alarie (pictured above) is making his first appearance on the World Championship Long List this season. Alarie has previously skated in marquee events like the 2019 World Junior Championship in Vancouver, the 2018 World Under-18 Championship in Russia.
He was also on the ice for the 2016 World Championship Division I Group A in Poland, and the 2015 World Junior Championship Division I Group A in Hungary.
Back home in Canada, Alarie's accomplishments are just as vast. He has two Memorial Cups and four QMJHL President Cups to his name, in addition to three USports University Championship Finals.
Alarie has also spent time as a referee in the American Hockey League.
Jeff Ingram (pictured above) will be a referee on the World Championship Long List for the first time, after officiating the IIHF World Junior Championship in his hometown of Vancouver last season. Jeff has also refereed at two Memorial Cups, IIHF Under-18 World Championship, and many WHL Championship Series. Ingram has also refereed in the American Hockey League.
Mike Campbell (pictured above far left) will be refereeing his first World Junior Championship, after officiating in last year's World Under-18 Championship in Sweden. Campbell is currently a referee in the American Hockey League (AHL), Western Hockey League (WHL) and USports.
Fraser Lawrence (pictured above) will be refereeing his first A pool tournament at this year's IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. Fraser's previous international experience includes appearances at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship Division III Group B in Mexico, and the IIHF Under 20 World Championship Division III in Iceland.
As one of the top referees in the Western Hockey League, Lawrence made his first appearance in the WHL Championship Series last season. Fraser's previous Hockey Canada assignments include trips to the 2012 World U17 Challenge and 2016 Royal Bank Cup.
Mike Langin (pictured above) will be refereeing his first official IIHF assignment at this year's World Under-18 Championship. Previously Langin was selected to work the 2019 World University Championships, 2016 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, 2014 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge, and the 2012 Royal Bank Cup.
Mike has also spent time serving as a referee in the American Hockey League.
Guillame Labonte (pictured above) has been selected to referee at this years IIHF Under-20 World Championship Division I Group A in Slovakia. Last year Labonte was selected to work at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Sweden.
Labonte also has one Memorial Cup selection, and four QMJHL President Cup finals to his name. Guillame has also been selected to referee at three CHL/NHL Top Prospects games, and currently referees in the American Hockey League.
Dustin McCrank (pictured above) finds himself in a familiar place after being selected to man the lines in the 2018 & 2019 IIHF World Championship. Dustin has also previously skated in two Memorial Cups, and five OHL Championship Series.
McCrank also patrols the lines in the American Hockey League, working home games for the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators. He also is an official in the ECHL, and had the honour of skating last year's ECHL All-Star game.
Nathan Vanoosten (pictured above) must be running out of room for stamps in his passport after trips to the 2017, 2018, and 2019 IIHF World Championships. Most notably Nathan was selected to officiate at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
He has also previously worked at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, along with two Memorial Cups, and three WHL Championship Series.
Mike Harrington (pictured above) has been named to the long list of the IIHF Men's World Championship for the first time. Last season, Harrington had the honour of skating the World Juniors in his home country of Canada. Previously his international experience included stops at the IIHF World Junior Championship Division I Group A in Germany, and the IIHF World Championship Division II Group B in Mexico.
Harrington has also skated in two OHL Championship Series, and one Memorial Cup in 2014. He has also previously spent time working the lines in the American Hockey League.
Maxime Chaput (pictured above) is also making his first appearance on the long list for the IIHF World Championship. Last season, Chaput joined Harrington and Ingram in Vancouver & Victoria for the World Junior Championship.
He previously received assignments at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Russia, the IIHF World Championship Division I Group A in Ukraine, and the IIHF World Junior Championship Division III in Mexico.
Chaput has worked in three QMJHL President Cup Finals, and last year's Memorial Cup in Halifax. He also mans the lines in the American Hockey League, working games of the Laval Rocket.
Brett Mackey (pictured above) will be officiating in his first IIHF assignment as a linesman at this year's IIHF World Under-18 Championships.
He had quite the year last season, working the World Under-17 Challenge, the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game, his first WHL championship series, and winning the BC Hockey Official of the Year award.
Chad Huseby (pictured above) will be making his first appearance at the World Junior Championship. Chad has been a stalwart as a linesman in the past few WHL Championship Series. Huseby also officiated the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan.
A complete breakdown of the women selected to represent Canada at IIHF assignments will be released shortly. Stay tuned!
Congratulations to all of the Canadian referees and linesmen that were selected to represent their country at a IIHF event this season!
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