Olympic game officials nominated
by Martin Merk|07 JAN 2022
With seven IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships since 2014 and the Olympic Winter Games, Roman Gofman from Russia is the most experienced referee from the officiating crew in Beijing 2022.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
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The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has nominated 48 referees and linespersons who will officiate the games at the Olympic ice hockey tournaments in Beijing 2022.

The game officials who made the final selection come from 12 different countries and nine of them have officiated at Olympic Winter Games before.

Olympic ice hockey in the Chinese capital will kick off with the women’s ice hockey tournament, which will for the first time be played with ten teams (up from eight) in a format similar to the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship with two tiered groups.

Five of the game officials have Olympic experience from the past. Referee Nikoleta Celarova was in PyeongChang 2018 in addition to two Women’s Worlds while Anna Wiegand officiated in Sochi 2014 and brings with her the experience of five Women’s Worlds. Linespersons Jennie Heikkinen, Lisa Linnek and Justine Todd also officiated in PyeongChang 2018.

Eight of the referees and eight of the linespersons recently called games at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Calgary where many of the players expected at the 2022 Olympics participated.

The group in Beijing also includes four women who recently wrote history by officiating games in the American Hockey League, North America’s second-tier men’s professional league: Alexandra Blair, Kelly Cooke, Kendall Hanley and Elizabeth Manta.
Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Tournament
Referees Linespersons
Daria Abrosimova  RUS Alexandra Blair  CAN
Nikoleta Celarova  SVK Anna Hammar  SWE
Kelly Cooke  USA Kendall Hanley  USA
Daria Ermak  RUS Jennie Heikkinen  FIN
Maria Furberg  SWE Julia Kainberger  AUT
Tijana Haack  GER Lisa Linnek  GER
Cianna Lieffers  CAN Veronica Lovensno  SWE
Elizabeth Mantha  CAN Jacqueline Spresser  USA
Anniina Nurmi  FIN Sara Strong  USA
Chelsea Rapin  USA Justine Todd  CAN
Lacey Senuk  CAN    
Anna Wiegand  SUI    
A few days after the women, the men will start officiating games in the 12-team Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament that will be played according to a similar format as in the past three Olympics.

Also the men’s line-up includes a mix of veterans and fresh faces who convinced the selectors with their performances in international and league play and have officiated in several top-level World Championships before.

Four of the officials were part of the officiating crew in PyeongChang 2018 with referees Roman Gofman, who has also been a game official in each IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship since 2014, Oliver Gouin and Linus Ohlund, who officiated in four Worlds each, and linesperson Gleb Lazarev.
Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
Referees Linespersons
Andris Ansons LAT William Hancock II USA
Tobias Bjork SWE Daniel Hynek CZE
Andrew Bruggeman USA Gleb Lazarev RUS
Michael Campbell CAN Ludvig Lundgren SWE
Martin Frano CZE Andreas Malmqvist  SWE
Roman Gofman RUS Dustin McCrank  CAN
Olivier Gouin CAN Lauri Nikulainen  FIN
Mikko Kaukokari FIN David Obwegeser  SUI
Linus Ohlund SWE Brian Oliver  USA
Evgenii Romasko RUS Jiri Ondracek  CZE
Andre Schrader GER Nikita Shalagin  RUS
Maxim Sidorenko BLR Dmitry Shishlo  RUS
Michael Tscherrig  SUI    
Kristian Vikman FIN    
Leading up to the selection there has been a longer list of world-class game officials and throughout the season various selection events have been held for the different groups.

The female officiating group had a large preparation camp in November prior to the Final Olympic Qualification where classroom sessions and physical testing was an important part to get the group together and create input for the final selection. The game officials were then spread to the three tournaments to officiate the final stage and also to be evaluated for the final selection of officials

The male game officials were observed in regular league play as well as in the Final Olympic Qualification events in August and later during the various international tournaments in the International Breaks for the final selection for Beijing 2022.