Hockey Referee Camps
There are a variety of top notch ice hockey officiating development camps offered throughout North America! Whether you are a local official just starting out, or an experienced official looking to master the art of officiating, there are plenty of options to advance your skill and progress your officiating career. These camps offer on-ice instruction, in-class seminars, physical programs as well as a fantastic opportunity to get exposure from officiating directors of local, national, junior, college and professional leagues.
Here are some of the best camps around to get to the next level!
Pittsburgh Elite Officiating Camp (PEOC)
Located in various rinks in or near Pittsburgh, PA depending on the camp chosen. The Pittsburgh Elite Officiating Camp will provide a great experience for officials of all levels. With 3 different camps geared towards officials with different levels of experience and aspirations you are sure to find something that fits your needs. Many officials with NAHL, USHL, NCAA, ECHL, AHL and even NHL experience are known to appear at these camps as participants and coaches. HockeyRefShop.com is also a proud sponsor of PEOC. You can find more information about Pittsburgh Elite Officiating Camps at the link above.
USA Hockey Summer Officiating Development Camps
USA Hockey offers various officiating development camps depending on the current level you are officiating. Each camp plays a critical role in the official’s development process; and guides officials on their journey from mastering the fundamentals and working towards a national event or,getting junior league exposure, all the way to officiating the highest levels of hockey. No matter where you are in your officiating journey, USA Hockey will have the perfect camp to take your game to the next level.
Below will be each camp offered by USA Hockey from lowest to highest mastery level.
- Futures Camp
- Futures Camp provides a review of the fundamentals of officiating. This camp is intended to be educational and to introduce what it takes to officiate higher levels of hockey. Officials with 2-3 years experience of officiating with some in 14U hockey or higher. This is the perfect way to get your foot in the door to officiating the next level!
- High Performance Camp
- High Performance Camp is designed for the official who has mastered the fundamentals of officiating and are aspiring to officiate at the highest level. This camp focuses on advanced techniques required to officiate the highest level of hockey. Tier III, ACHA, NAPHL or USA Hockey National Tournament experience are preferred but not required!
- Officiating Program of Merit
- Program of Merit is an invite-only camp where participants are selected by a committee of the top Tier I Junior, NCAA, and Professional officials. This camp prepares the top prospect officials in the country to perfect their craft and prepare for their future opportunities
- Officiating Development Program Prospects Camp
- USA Hockey’s Officiating Development Program (ODP) has been the premier development route for American officials from 18 to 29 aspiring to reach their potential. The ODP encompasses and is responsible for all USHL, NAHL, NA3HL, and SPHL officials. Prospects Camp is a yearly held event where potential officials ‘try out’ to become hired for the leagues mentioned above. Officials are hired at a full-time or part-time basis; where full time officials are offered league sponsored housing. If you are an American official and you want to reach your highest potential, look no further than the ODP.
USA Hockey District Officiating Seminars
USA Hockey’s outreach to develop grassroots officials has been a success thanks to their District Officiating Seminars. These seminars seek to assist officials with 3-4 years experience that have a desire to get to the next level. This seminar includes both on ice sessions as well as classroom instruction done by officials at the highest levels of the game. These DOS events are held in August at the following areas:
California Referee School is a great opportunity to enjoy the summer sun while also getting your officiating to the next level. Michel Voyer has directed this camp for over 30 years welcoming officials of all backgrounds. As long as you have a willingness to learn this camp is perfect for you. The supervisors attending each year either represent USA Hockey’s Officiating Development Program, NCHC, NHL, as well as high level college divisions. The demand for solid officials is ever growing and California Referee School excels in bringing top officiating talent exposure to the next step of their career.
Don Koharski’s Officiating & Development Camps
With close to 2000 NHL games and 32 years of experience in the league, Don Koharski has hosted numerous camps throughout North America since 2002. These camps are primarily located in Canada (Ontario and New Brunswick) but have also been in Nashville, TN with plans to expand in the USA. Koharski’s Officiating Camp has been regarded as a premier development opportunity for prospective officials. His camps welcome any official 13+ years of age, and features on ice instruction from the elite level instructors who have worked NHL, NCAA, minor pro, and major junior leagues.
Are you ready to show the NHL what you got? Look no further than the NHL Exposure Combine; this combine takes place every August in Buffalo, NY. The combine focuses on male and female players ages 19-27 with experience in either DI, DIII, and CIS experience. Here you can showcase your abilities as an official to the top leagues in the world. Accommodations and meals are provided, applicants must cover travel to and from the Combine. The event typically lasts 3 days and consists of physical on-ice and off ice testing alongside with hockey games.
