Unlike hockey players, coaches and fans, there is always one group of people, who are at every hockey game and who need to be educated and recertified before a hockey season begins.
Those people are the officials, whether it is for the 11-year-old rookies, or experienced 50-something it is mandatory for officials to attend a clinic, complete the online modules and pass a test each year.
Before this season, 45 local officials were joined by others from Saskatoon, Cut Knife and other surrounding communities for a clinic in Battleford just like any other year. Only this time three of those local officials were honoured with recognition awards.
Each year three officials from four of the eight zones in Saskatchewan are acknowledged by the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.
The Battlefords had a clean sweep of Zone 7, as Randy Redding, Jordan Gay and Ryan Muyres were the 2009/10 award recipients.
Redding was issued the Most Deserving Award. Redding not only officiated last season, but also helped coach bantam hockey and has been an official for over 30 years while volunteering with minor hockey. Redding hung up the skates this season, but not before putting in decades of service as an official.
Gay is an up and coming official with the Battlefords Minor Hockey Association and was presented with the Most Improved Award. Gay attended the Bantam Zone camp as an official and was selected to officiate at the Sask First Tournament in Regina last season. The 19-year-old official has been working hockey for six seasons.
Muyres is one of the officials, fans watching basically any league in the area will see on the ice. He works games in both the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League as a linesman and referees Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League games as well as senior and minor hockey games. Muyres has officiated for 11 seasons and was presented with the Most Promising Award.
This season the awards shift from Zones 5, 6, 7 and 8 to the south, where awards will be issued to those officials in the Zones 1, 2, 3 and 4.
