USA Hockey’s Long-Term Officiating Development Model provides a detailed guide for officials to follow as their hockey journeys evolve from student to teacher. Few embody its“hockey for life” mantra more than Philadelphia native, and long-time National Hockey League referee, Ian Walsh.
From Walsh’s start calling Mite and Squirt games as a teenager, to a successful 23-year NHL career, to now helping top officials in the Western Hockey League, United States Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation grow their careers, Walsh’s path in the black and white stripes has come full circle.
“I’m really enjoying the challenge and keeping busy with those three leagues since I came off the ice,” said Walsh, who now resides in Portland, Oregon. “I see how eager they are and how much they want to learn. It takes me back to that point in my career. Hopefully I can give back to them and give them something to think about that will help them in their future.”
HOW IT ALL STARTED
When Walsh was just 15 years old, and still playing hockey, he decided he needed a way to put some money in his pocket. According to Walsh, his two options were “get a job at a fast-food restaurant or go down to the rink.”
Walsh’s father, himself an amateur official, showed Walsh the ins and outs, and as a local assigner, placed him with more experienced officials who could provide a good influence and an up-close, youth hockey education. For Walsh, this was just the beginning.
“It was like an early mentor program,” said Walsh. “I was learning from some of the better officials in the Philadelphia area and came to enjoy it right away and stuck with it.”
From there, Walsh furthered his officiating tutelage at the Eastern Regional USA Hockey Officiating Camp, which included classroom and on-ice sessions. The camp inspired Walsh and helped him open doors to a USHL tryout and a spot on their officials’ roster, at the age of 20.
“The camp was a great experience,” he said. “We were being taught by some of the best in the world. Scott Zelkin and Don Adam were my instructors. Really high-level officials were teaching new things to me. Learning from those guys was so great. Just going through the whole experience was so positive. I am always so thankful to come up through that system.”
After a couple of years with the USHL, Walsh was ready for the professional level, patrolling the ice for the Central Hockey League in Oklahoma and Texas and then the East Coast HockeyLeague. The NHL began to take notice and invited Walsh to its trainee program, where he would work games in a variety of leagues, including three Canadian Major Junior leagues and the International Hockey League. Fast forward a few years, and Walsh had earned a minor league contract and then a coveted job in the NHL.
THE CALL TO THE SHOW
Walsh was living in his hometown of Philadelphia, and in his fourth year in the minor leagues when a letter from the NHL arrived in the mail that would change the course of his career.
“I remember getting the letter and really pausing to open it, because I had no idea what it would say,” he said. “It’s either ‘thank you for your service’ or ‘congratulations.’ I opened it and it had the news I was waiting for. I went up to my dad’s office, dropped the letter on his desk and we celebrated. It was really a special moment to finally achieve what I had set out to do when I left home 10 or so years earlier.”
Over the next 23 years, starting with his first game in New Jersey, on Oct. 14, 2000, Walsh would experience being a rookie official – with players teasing him for his youthful appearance, working with veterans such as Kevin Collins, Brian Murphy and Bill McCreary, and officiating the 2016 All-Star Game, two outdoor games, eight playoffs and the 2014 Sochi Olympics. His 1,000th NHL game took place in his hometown in 2017.
“One of the coolest things I got to do was the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philly,” Walsh said. “I lived about a mile away from the stadium. Being able to officiate a hockey game at the baseball stadium was surreal. I got to share that with my wife, my mom, dad, family and friends from all over the area.”
GIVING BACK
Following the 2022-23 NHL season, Walsh retired from his on-ice career that spanned 1,321 regular season and 30 playoff games.
He has since dedicated his time to giving back to the officiating community, working with various leagues as a mentor and coach, providing feedback after games and helping younger officials fine-tune their skills.
“I enjoy helping them adjust to their leagues and prepare them for their next steps as they rise up the ranks,” Walsh said. “It’s all part of the AODP. I’ll work mainly with the USHL but also the North American Hockey League. I usually attend training camp at the start of the year and make monthly trips to continue working with them.”
One piece of advice Walsh has for aspiring officials is to work on their skating, and if they’re still playing the game, keep playing.
“One of the biggest changes in the game that we’ve seen is the skill level and speed has improved so much,” he said. “Good skating is the number one thing leagues are looking for. I was always an average skater but if you want to be an official at a high level, skating and fitness are so important. So, do your best to improve in those areas and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There will always be ups and downs. You just want to improve every night.”
While the life of a hockey official can be challenging, it can also be extremely rewarding, and, as Walsh says, “a great way to stay involved in the game.”
“A lot of players who may not be able to make a living playing hockey should realize there’s another avenue, and it’s similar,” Walsh said. “You’re on a team, working with teammates, working hard and right in the middle of it. You aren’t chasing goals necessarily, but you’re chasing being consistently good. To be a good official and really enjoy it you really have to love hockey. If you love the game, can skate and understand the game at a high level, it’s a great opportunity for a player nearing the end of their competitive career. For me, it’s a way to stay involved in the greatest game in the world.”
Source: usahockey.com