n my local association, we have one very unhappy young referee. It's too bad, really.

Let's call this referee "John." He is by any standards an outstanding official. He's 6'5", weighs more than 200 pounds. He's in his early 20s, an excellent skater, has great understanding of the game, has good procedures. But he's left to do only minor hockey.

John was part of our above minor crew until November of last year. He had a disappointing tryout with the Western Hockey League, but, if for no other reason than his raw physical attributes, was told to expect another this year.

To my understanding, it didn't materialize.

Continued...