The gold medal game officials of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship will also be back at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. From left to right: linesperson Anna Hammar, referee Anniina Nurmi, IIHF Council member and IIHF Officiating Committee chairperson Marta Zawadzka, referee Anna Wiegand and linesperson Julia Kainberger.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
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.
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.
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.
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.