Dear USA Hockey Official,

Congratulations on another successful season.

First, if you’re a new Level 1 official completing your first year. We want to encourage you to come back next season. We understand that there are many challenges facing new officials. From the education process, to getting through those first few games. Hopefully you received some degree of mentorship that assisted you along the way. With that said, our research has supported the fact that those officials that reach Year 3 in their career stick with officiating for a long time. Therefore, consider this your invitation to stick with your local team of officials and continue to serve the game and support your local hockey community. We want you back!

For all of our returning officials, we wanted to share some updates regarding the 2025-26 Membership Registration process. As promised during Summer 2024, this season will feature the launch of the new online USA Hockey Learning Center. We took a brief hiatus from online education requirements last year, but the Online Education Modules and new Playing Rule Exercises (replacing the Open Book Exam) have now returned, bringing our education program back to the world-leading product our membership deserves.

Please note, the USA Hockey Learning Center will replace the old USA Hockey Courses system that supported online classroom seminar registration and checking your membership registration progress. Accessing the system will require USA Hockey “Single Sign-on” (SSO) credentials which will be provided to you through direct email either prior or following the 2025-26 Membership application process. Once you receive these SSO credentials, we strongly encourage you to record this information in your rulebook.

Speaking of which, this season begins a new four-year playing rule cycle. Which means all officials will receive a new rulebook within 5 – 10 business days of submitting your 2025-26 Membership application. A PDF copy of the 2025-29 Playing Rules and supporting Rule Change Summary document can be downloaded at USAHockey.com, and a new USA Hockey Rulebook mobile application is in early development with expected launch by August 2025. Please note, the 2025-29 Playing Rules do not take effect until August 1, 2025.

Lastly, access to the USA Hockey Game Reporting system will work through your USA Hockey Single Sign-on credentials using a link that will be placed in the drop-down menu under the Officials tab at USAHockey.com once the USA Hockey Courses system is shut down.

We wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable off-season and look forward to your return starting May 2025. And thank you for your dedication to USA Hockey.

USA Hockey Registration | LAHOA Registration Form

Dear LAHOA Members,

This is the first request from the Election Committee for LAHOA Board of Director Nominations. This year there are three (3) board seats up for election.

Ballot Nominations
“Members in good standing” who desire to compete for one of the three board seats must “Self-Nominate”.

Members cannot nominate another member, in accordance with the LAHOA Bylaw change in 2018.

All nominations must be made by email to the election committee at: election@lahoa.com

Nominations must be received by the Election Committee, no later than 11:59 PM PDT, May 28, 2025.

Voting Ballots
Once again, we will be utilizing the Election Runner voting system. This application has proven to provide the association members with a sound, secure and confidential method to cast your important and meaningful vote for the candidates that are seeking a board seat. We hope all of you will be diligent and partake in this important member right. It is your association, please be involved.

Election ballots will be sent out no later than June 15, 2025. During the voting period, please be sure to check your email regularly for updates and your voter ballot.

We will also post information and updates on the LAHOA Facebook page. Please check there from time to time during the voting period.

Bylaw Changes
Each year at the annual board meeting, the newly elected board will review all submitted Bylaw change requests.

The process has changed slightly this year to better follow the by-laws. Members can submit Bylaw change requests for the board’s review by submitting them directly to Louis Magnifico, LAHOA President at louism@lahoa.com

The link to the LAHOA By-Laws is: https://lahoa.com/bylaws/

Bylaw change requests for the annual meeting must be received by the President, no later than 11:59 PM PDT, on June 1, 2025. As all By-law changes must be published to the membership at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the annual meeting this will allow the President time to do so by June 8, 2025.

Annual Meeting
The meeting will be held at The Rinks in Lakewood in the upstairs community room between rink B and rink C. The Date & Time of the Annual Meeting is set for Sunday, June 29, 2025 at 12:00 PM.

REMEMBER: All board member nominations must be submitted to the Election Secretary no later than 11:59 PM PDT, May 28, 2025. All By-Laws changes must be submitted to the LAHOA President no later than 11:59 PM PDT, on June 1, 2025.

If you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at election@lahoa.com or at my personal phone/text number listed below.

Respectfully,

Andrew K. Martin
LAHOA 2025 Election Secretary

LAHOA has recently started making monthly newsletters! Check them out here: LAHOA Newsletters

SAVE THE DATE
August 1-3 in El Segundo, California @ Toyota Sports Performance Center. The school is open to officials age 16 to 31 years old who are great skaters with an experience level of AAA to professional. Additionally, this years school will be limited to 30 officials.

Classroom sessions will include video sessions, psychology of the game, teamwork & communication. All classes will be held at the Toyota Sports Performance Center.

On-ice instruction will include: positioning, signals, skating drills, conducting face-offs, game situation participation.

Off-ice instructions includes how to prepare and warm up for a game, nutrition, as well as exercises specific to officiating ice hockey.

All ice sessions are supervised by staff from the NHL, AHL, Junior level and local USA Hockey supervisors.

The Sonesta Hotel is the official host hotel of the California Referee School and is walking distance to the Performance Center. Special rate for CA Ref School.

Please visit carefschool.com for registration information.

Michel Voyer
School Director

Dear USA Hockey Registered Official:

USA Hockey is excited to announce registration is open for the 2025 Advanced Officiating Symposium taking place on August 22-24, 2025 in Washington, DC.

NOTE: If you have already registered for this event you may disregard this email. We look forward to seeing you this summer!

The Advanced Officiating Symposium is the USA Hockey Officiating Program’s premier education event, and the pathway to earning status as a Tenured Official. The Tenured Official category is designed to reward loyalty to USA Hockey, recognize those officials who are committed to serving the game, and incentivize officials to consider officiating with USA Hockey to be a long-term commitment.

Officials who have completely registered at Level 3 or Level 4 for the previous three consecutive seasons (2022-23, 2023-24 & 2024-25) are eligible to attend the upcoming symposium.

Over 800 officials have attended the previous symposiums and as a result have become our select group of officials earning our program’s highest honor. Once earned, Tenured status will remain as long as the official continues to register with USA Hockey.

The primary objectives of the Advanced Officiating Symposium will be:

• Provide an advanced and engaging level of education in areas presented by top American officials from the NHL, Minor-Pro, IIHF and NCAA levels.
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• Foster leadership in local officiating communities, and the sharing of resources and knowledge by our most dedicated group of grassroots officials. 
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• We will also use the opportunity to celebrate all the success and achievements USA Hockey and American officiating has to offer.

To learn more about the Tenured Official Program please CLICK HERE.

To register for the 2025 Advanced Officiating Symposium please click the link below. Space is limited to 200 officials, so be sure to secure your spot early.

We look forward to seeing you in Washington, DC in August 2025!

USA Hockey Officiating Program

Register for the 2025 USA Hockey Advanced Officiating Symposium

Neck laceration protection requirements begin August 1st for players in all age classifications, other than adult, during both games and practices, as well as for on-ice officials under the age of 18. The requirement includes players in the youth, girls and junior age classifications.  Check out USA Hockey’s resources and frequently asked questions to make sure you’re prepared heading into the new season!

READ MORE | FAQs

The LAHOA Board of Directors would like to congratulate Jacob Rozenberg who will be working his first United States Hockey League (USHL) game as a linesperson! Jake will get back from his winter break in Southern California, jump in the car and head to Des Moines. After a few games in Iowa, he will make his way up to Green Bay, WI then head back to Dallas, TX! Green Bay is one of the best cities to visit in the USHL. Congrats to Jake on his first few games and good luck!

Each season, before the main training camps start in the NHL, groups of NHL teams will meet up and play a number of games against other teams. The players playing are typically the future players of that NHL club. LAHOA is proud to announce a number of officials who will be working those games! Congratulations to the following officials:

Prospects Tournament – Traverse City, MI – 9/15-9/19

• Tyler Hascall – Referee
• John Lindner – Referee

Rookie Face-off – San Jose, CA – 9/16-9/19

• Jordan Watt – Referee
• Benjamin Dubow – Linesperson
• Jarrett Townsend – Linesperson
• Eric Anderson – Linesman
• Jake Herzog (Arizona) – Linesperson
• Alex Ledovskiy (NORHOA) – Linesperson
• Tatu Kunto (SDHRA) – Referee
• Jackson Kozari (LVHOA) – Referee
• Michaela Ball (SDHRA) – Referee

The Los Angeles Hockey Officials Association Board of Directors concluded its annual meeting which begins the 31st season! The Board of Directors would like to thank Michel Voyer for his service on the board for the past 30 years. Michel won’t hold a seat anymore but he will still be leading the charge in developing our officials for the junior and pro ranks. 

In with the new! Congratulations to Jordan Watt who ran in this years election and won a board seat. He along with Brett Martin and Scott Workman will occupy board seats for the next three years. 

71% of the LAHOA members voted in this years election. Thanks in part to Ira Derdiger and Chuck Martin for making this possible! While 71% is a great number, Ira and Chuck look to build on. Be on the lookout for our ramped up election next year

Beginning this season, Executive board member positions are two year terms. The Board would like to thank Sara Parras for handling the duties of treasurer for the past two seasons. At this time The Board would like to introduce Matt Zucker as the new treasurer for the 22-23 & 23-24 seasons. The rest of the executive board remained the same. Their terms expire in 2024. 

During the annual meeting, President Louis Magnifico appointed Todd Siegal the Director or Development for LAHOA. Arthur Kitano also announced that Todd will be the Referee in Chief for the ADHSHL. Art will assume the role of ADHSHL Director of Officials. LAHOA would like to congratulate Todd on his new roles this season!

THE BEN ALLISON AWARD

In 2016, the Ben Allison Award was created to recognize deserving officials in the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program. The award is voted on by 150 members of the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program and is given to the official that best represents the characteristics that made Ben a special person and official, including always giving 100 percent on the ice and representing USA Hockey in the finest manner. The award will be presented on an annual basis. Allison was a level three USA Hockey certified official, who was tragically killed in January 2015 at the age of 20. A native of Royal Oak, Michigan and a student at Illinois State University, he had been officiating for eight years and was a part of the Officiating Development Program for three years at various levels, including the NAHL.