This is something that I and many B1G and NCHC fans were afraid of. Many fans have feared that we’re going to see the same old recycled officials instead of moving ahead with some new officials. With the 2013-14 season approaching, we will soon find out who the new leagues have selected to be their on ice officials.
Jack Hittinger, Bemidji Pioneer – McLeod also spent some time discussing officiating and other in-game operations with the athletic directors present. Greg Shepherd will return as the league’s director of officials, he said.
He noted that the conference’s officials were “raided a bit” by the Big Ten and NCHC. They’ve also added a few from the CCHA, although said he did not have exact numbers.
“We’re just trying to get everyone on the same page,” McLeod said. “From the NCAA standpoint, it’s not a rule-changing year, so it’s not about updating ourselves on the rules. It’s more about the nuances of how Greg likes to do things.”
And until the teams actually meet together on the ice for the first time in October, there’s going to be a lot of nuances to get used to.
Recently, the NCHC hired former WCHA official Don Adam to be their head of officials and he will institute a new training program. Adam has vowed that the NCHC will have a better officiating product when the NCHC begins play for the 2013-14 season. “One of the key goals for our conference is to develop one of the best officiating programs in the country,” Director of Hockey Operations Joe Novak said. Thoughs? Weigh in...
