VIJHL Officials Set to Shine at NHL Officiating Combine

Strategic Insights -

The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) is showcasing its top officiating talent at the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine in Buffalo, New York, this August. Referee Keagan Abbott and linesmen Tyler Pang, Sasha Perron, Aiden Small, and Matt Williams have been selected to attend the four-day event, designed to identify the next generation of NHL officials. The five VIJHL officials are part of a 12-strong contingent from the British Columbia Hockey League system, with Abbott leading the Island contingent as the lone referee in the group.

Key Takeaways:

  • The VIJHL is sending a record number of officials to the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine, with five members of the 12-strong contingent from the British Columbia Hockey League system.
  • Referee Keagan Abbott, from Powell River, is the lone referee from the VIJHL and will lead the Island contingent at the combine.
  • Linesmen Tyler Pang, Sasha Perron, Aiden Small, and Matt Williams have all been tapped to attend the combine, with Pang and Perron bringing a player's eye to the officiating world having competed at the university level.
  • The combine is a four-day gauntlet of on-ice and off-ice testing, designed to push young officials and identify who might be ready to take the next step toward the game's highest levels.
  • The VIJHL is proud to see its officials taking on this opportunity, with chair Shawn Vincent stating, "We are so proud to have five of our officials getting a chance to learn firsthand from the NHL."
  • The VIJHL's director of officiating and player safety, Carl Poole, has worked closely with BCHL vice-president of hockey operations Brad Lazarowich to make opportunities like this possible.

Statistics:

  • 12 officials from the British Columbia Hockey League system were selected to attend the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine.
  • 5 of the 12 officials selected are from the VIJHL, the largest group from the league ever invited to the event.
  • The VIJHL has a total of 5 officials attending the combine: Keagan Abbott, Tyler Pang, Sasha Perron, Aiden Small, and Matt Williams.
  • The combine will take place from August 14-17 in Buffalo, New York.

Sources:

  • "VIJHL Officials Land NFL Officiating Combine Bids in Turn". Peninsula News Review, 2023.
  • "VIJHL chairman Shawn Vincent interview". Peninsula News Review, 2023.
  • "Carl Poole, director of officiating and player safety". Peninsula News Review, 2023.
  • "Brad Lazarowich, BCHL vice-president of hockey operations". Peninsula News Review, 2023.