Keagan Knutson is a passionate 16-year-old referee with Hockey Alberta, following in the footsteps of his brother Kaydin, who works in the Western Hockey League.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
As much as the world has changed, some things have remained relatively constant.
In Canada, one constant is that the minor hockey rink is the central hub of a community. Every weeknight and throughout the day on weekends, minor hockey arenas are filled with excited kids buzzing around the ice, parents cheering from the stands, and coaches doing their best to guide the youngsters.
Anyone involved in the game knows none of this is possible without the efforts of countless volunteers and administrators. And, certainly, none of it is possible without referees, who are often yelled at, sometimes demeaned, and many times forgotten about altogether. But minor hockey doesn’t happen without the great work of young officials who can get started wearing the stripes and blowing the whistle in Canada at the tender age of 12.
Keagan Knutson is one of those young officials. Now 16 years old, he’s in his fourth year of officiating hockey, a sport he still plays and loves. His older brother Kaydin, 25, is refereeing high-level junior hockey in the Western Hockey League and Alberta Junior Hockey League and helped get Keagan into the world of officiating.
“I just have a passion for the game. It’s in my blood, I guess,” said Knutson. “I love skating, love being on the ice, outside on the outdoor rink – it’s a great atmosphere. You’re a team out there. You’re a group of four or three, you work together and you’re a team, you’re a family out there. You look after each other.”
When the world stopped and hit reset during the pandemic, hockey came to a standstill and Hockey Alberta lost officials to other pursuits and interests. It has taken a lot of hard work to re-fill the officiating pool. But as the 2024-25 minor hockey season gets underway, numbers are starting to grow once again.
Liam MacIsaac, Manager of Officiating at Hockey Alberta, says numbers at the grassroots level of officiating – those aged 12-14 – are as good as he’s ever seen them. The organization focuses heavily on the young adults, those who may be about to enter the “real” work world or attend university or college.
“At the bottom level, the Level 1's, the 12-14 year olds, we are really, really good," said MacIsaac. "We’ve actually had the most Level 1s we have ever had. We’re flush with kids wanting to get into it. The next segment is where we are focusing a lot of our attention – those kids that are getting out of officiating, the 18-25 year olds, that’s where we could do a little bit better. We can do more to attract officials. We’re always in need of young adults who can work a [U18] game. Other than that, our numbers as a program have rebounded very nicely from Covid."
And what kind of numbers might those be?
“We registered just over 5,700 officials last year, which is a high for a long time.”
Knutson, like many young people, got into officiating as a way to stay in the game longer and to put a little bit of cash in his pocket. MacIsaac calls hockey officiating “the first part-time job” for many youth in Alberta and throughout Canada, a country where you can’t start pumping gas or working retail or in a restaurant until the ages of 15 or 16.
In Canada, one constant is that the minor hockey rink is the central hub of a community. Every weeknight and throughout the day on weekends, minor hockey arenas are filled with excited kids buzzing around the ice, parents cheering from the stands, and coaches doing their best to guide the youngsters.
Anyone involved in the game knows none of this is possible without the efforts of countless volunteers and administrators. And, certainly, none of it is possible without referees, who are often yelled at, sometimes demeaned, and many times forgotten about altogether. But minor hockey doesn’t happen without the great work of young officials who can get started wearing the stripes and blowing the whistle in Canada at the tender age of 12.
Keagan Knutson is one of those young officials. Now 16 years old, he’s in his fourth year of officiating hockey, a sport he still plays and loves. His older brother Kaydin, 25, is refereeing high-level junior hockey in the Western Hockey League and Alberta Junior Hockey League and helped get Keagan into the world of officiating.
“I just have a passion for the game. It’s in my blood, I guess,” said Knutson. “I love skating, love being on the ice, outside on the outdoor rink – it’s a great atmosphere. You’re a team out there. You’re a group of four or three, you work together and you’re a team, you’re a family out there. You look after each other.”
When the world stopped and hit reset during the pandemic, hockey came to a standstill and Hockey Alberta lost officials to other pursuits and interests. It has taken a lot of hard work to re-fill the officiating pool. But as the 2024-25 minor hockey season gets underway, numbers are starting to grow once again.
Liam MacIsaac, Manager of Officiating at Hockey Alberta, says numbers at the grassroots level of officiating – those aged 12-14 – are as good as he’s ever seen them. The organization focuses heavily on the young adults, those who may be about to enter the “real” work world or attend university or college.
“At the bottom level, the Level 1's, the 12-14 year olds, we are really, really good," said MacIsaac. "We’ve actually had the most Level 1s we have ever had. We’re flush with kids wanting to get into it. The next segment is where we are focusing a lot of our attention – those kids that are getting out of officiating, the 18-25 year olds, that’s where we could do a little bit better. We can do more to attract officials. We’re always in need of young adults who can work a [U18] game. Other than that, our numbers as a program have rebounded very nicely from Covid."
And what kind of numbers might those be?
“We registered just over 5,700 officials last year, which is a high for a long time.”
Knutson, like many young people, got into officiating as a way to stay in the game longer and to put a little bit of cash in his pocket. MacIsaac calls hockey officiating “the first part-time job” for many youth in Alberta and throughout Canada, a country where you can’t start pumping gas or working retail or in a restaurant until the ages of 15 or 16.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
But attracting officials to the organization and retaining them are two different things. Many of these teenagers encounter challenging situations on the ice that might scare them away from coming back. It could be an aggressive adult coach who yells at a referee or linesman about a missed or potentially incorrect call. Or the yelling can come from the stands from an emotional parent.
“Last year, [during a U15 game] I called off a goal in the playoffs as it was high-sticking,” said Knutson. “The team would have won but it was clearly a no-goal, so I had to wave that one off. Fans and coaches weren’t really happy about that, but you have to make the right call on the ice at the right time."
His experiences have helped to sharp his mindset around officiating.
“You just have to make sure to be calm and know your rules for sure, because you’re the one on the ice making the call at the end of the day. You’re the one who is in charge on the ice.”
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association took a step this season to limit the amount of verbal abuse that young officials encounter on the ice. The OMHA unveiled a green “No Ref, No Game” armband for on-ice officials under age 18 as a visual reminder to players, coaches, and parents that the officials are young people still learning the game, just like the players.
“People need to understand that you’re yelling at a 15-year-old kid or 16-year-old-kid,” Dave Wedlake, chair of the OMHA officiating program, told the Toronto Star. “I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that this is simply a game, and it consumes us and people lose perspective of why we’re here.”
Other hockey organizations in Canada are certainly looking to the OMHA to see what impact the program can have.
According to MacIsaac, his Alberta organization is putting in more supports for the young officials to give them the tools needed to stay in the game longer.
“We’re working on building out a grassroots officiating program, focusing more time spending on those officials, sending out mentors, sending out officials coaches, having resources and support systems in the rink for them,” MacIsaac said. “So they’re not out there on an island by themselves. Simply reassuring them after a difficult game, being able to have a senior official for maybe a [U13 A] game that’s a bit more difficult. You want to reassure them they're doing good things and try to foster that confidence in them so we don’t just give them their clinic at the start of the year and send them on their way for the rest of the season.”
Knutson has gained a lot from being an official, with his confidence growing each and every game he calls. His playing career may end after this season, but he has a number of goals as a ref.
“Everyone wants to go to the NHL, but I want to go to the Olympics, I want to do that,” he said. “For now, I just want to get into the WHL and figure that out.”
“Last year, [during a U15 game] I called off a goal in the playoffs as it was high-sticking,” said Knutson. “The team would have won but it was clearly a no-goal, so I had to wave that one off. Fans and coaches weren’t really happy about that, but you have to make the right call on the ice at the right time."
His experiences have helped to sharp his mindset around officiating.
“You just have to make sure to be calm and know your rules for sure, because you’re the one on the ice making the call at the end of the day. You’re the one who is in charge on the ice.”
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association took a step this season to limit the amount of verbal abuse that young officials encounter on the ice. The OMHA unveiled a green “No Ref, No Game” armband for on-ice officials under age 18 as a visual reminder to players, coaches, and parents that the officials are young people still learning the game, just like the players.
“People need to understand that you’re yelling at a 15-year-old kid or 16-year-old-kid,” Dave Wedlake, chair of the OMHA officiating program, told the Toronto Star. “I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that this is simply a game, and it consumes us and people lose perspective of why we’re here.”
Other hockey organizations in Canada are certainly looking to the OMHA to see what impact the program can have.
According to MacIsaac, his Alberta organization is putting in more supports for the young officials to give them the tools needed to stay in the game longer.
“We’re working on building out a grassroots officiating program, focusing more time spending on those officials, sending out mentors, sending out officials coaches, having resources and support systems in the rink for them,” MacIsaac said. “So they’re not out there on an island by themselves. Simply reassuring them after a difficult game, being able to have a senior official for maybe a [U13 A] game that’s a bit more difficult. You want to reassure them they're doing good things and try to foster that confidence in them so we don’t just give them their clinic at the start of the year and send them on their way for the rest of the season.”
Knutson has gained a lot from being an official, with his confidence growing each and every game he calls. His playing career may end after this season, but he has a number of goals as a ref.
“Everyone wants to go to the NHL, but I want to go to the Olympics, I want to do that,” he said. “For now, I just want to get into the WHL and figure that out.”