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!
LAHOA is happy to announce that registration for the 2024-25 season begins June 1st! For those officials who registered for the 2023-24 season, your registration will expire November 30th, 2024.
Once registration is open, officials will register with USA Hockey and complete the registration requirements. When an official has completed their USA Hockey registration, the official will then be able to register with LAHOA. To do so, the official will complete the LAHOA Registration Form and attach a picture of their USA Hockey card & crest.
NEW THIS SEASON FOR USA HOCKEY: For all levels, there will be no online rules test and no online modules to complete. Those will be completed during the online classroom session. Officials will still need to complete their SafeSport training and their background check (if applicable).
The LAHOA Board of Directors are pleased to announced the 2024 seminar dates! This season, ALL officials will attend virtual seminars via Zoom.
USA Hockey Registration |LAHOA Registration
Level 1 Seminars: (both days)
June 29 & 30, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
July 13 & 14, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
July 27 & 28, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
August 17 & 18, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
August 31 & September 1, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
September 14, 2024, 9 am to 1 pm Zoom
Level 2 Seminars:
July 10, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
July 24, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
August 7, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
August 21, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
September 11, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
Level 3 & 4 Seminars:
July 17, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
July 31, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
August 14, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
August 28, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
September 4, 2024, 6 pm to 9 pm Zoom
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, on June 26, 2024.
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 July 6, 2024. 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. Members can submit Bylaw change requests for the board’s review by submitting them to the election committee at election@lahoa.com. The link to the LAHOA By-Laws is: https://lahoa.com/bylaws/. Bylaw change requests must be received by the Election Committee, no later than 11:59 PM PDT, on June 26, 2024.
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 Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 12:00 PM.
REMEMBER: All board seat member Nominations and Bylaw Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM PDT, on June 26, 2024.
If you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at election@lahoa.com or at our personal phone/text numbers listed below.
Respectfully,
Andrew K. Martin
LAHOA 2024 Election Secretary
Phone/Text: 615-944-4524
Ira Derdiger
Election Secretary Co-Chair
Phone/Text: 310-497-5009
Saves The Date:
August 2-4 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
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 Jamie Huntley-Park Pacific District Women’s Officiating Camp was held in Portland, Oregon from September 23rd-26th. LAHOA officials Nichole Godwin, Rebecca McFarland, and Sara Parras were in attendance along with nine other women from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Montana. Named for previous camp director Jamie Huntley-Park, a renowned figure in the hockey community who was tragically killed in a car accident on June 4th, the camp aims to train, promote, and empower women in officiating throughout the district and beyond.
Traditionally four days of classroom, off-ice testing and workouts, on-ice testing and training, game simulations, and team building activities, this year’s gathering included a new and powerful addition: 2021 Camp Directors Kendall Hanley, Jackie Spresser, and Alisha Hanrahan shared personal stories about working with and knowing Huntley-Park. “It’s important to us that you know who she was so you can uphold her values and continue her legacy both on and off the ice,” said Spresser. NHL referee Ian Walsh made a classroom appearance to share video clips and joined the participants on the ice for an afternoon of power skating. The attendees received on-ice shadowing, video feedback on in-game timing and positioning, and scores for IIHF skating and off-ice testing.
Congratulations to all the participants on a successful camp!
LAHOA would like to congratulate James Parker on his retirement from professional hockey. James, a former LAHOA board member and president, worked his final professional game Friday, May 7th in Irvine. 14 months after it has actually been scheduled. James was originally set to retire at the end of the last season but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed his game. James skating a game between the San Diego Gulls and the Ontario Reign. Basically the Kings vs the Ducks. The game featured a few fights but no fans. Well, almost no fans. James’ wife and kids were made special exemptions and were allowed to attend the game. Skating along side James was fellow LAHOA official, Michael McBain.
James’ career started right here in Southern California when he was 16. He attended California Referee School where camp director Michel Voyer took notice. When he was 18, he picked up a job as a linesman in a inline hockey league called, Roller Hockey International (RHI). The Anaheim Bullfrogs and the LA Blades played in this league with home games at the Honda Center, formerly the Arrowhead Pond, and the Forum, formerly the Great Western Forum. Michel, who had helped James get a spot in the RHI then called Derek Martin who was with the International Hockey League (IHL) which was the main feeder in to the NHL at the time. At the age of 19, James worked as a linesman in the the IHL. A few years later, James found himself moving over to be a referee. He began refereeing games in the IHL and the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) now the ECHL. The Long Beach Ice Dogs played in that league. James’ path to success continued when Bryan Lewis, with the NHL came calling. The NHL had a program called the Officials Trainee Program. They would send James all over the country and even Canada to work games in various leagues such as the QMJHL, OHL and the WHL to name a few.
I’ve told this to countless people but only 80 something people in the world are able to be NHL officials. Different factors can come into play as to why an official makes the NHL or not. James, while pursuing the NHL, graduated college and become a teacher, married and had children. He continued to work professional hockey locally. He also served as the president of LAHOA! James has work a number of finals and playoffs but last season, James and fellow LAHOA official, Brent Tubbs, worked the AHL All-Star game in Ontario.
James will continue to serve as one of the Anaheim Ducks video replay coordinators for home games and you will for sure see him teaching seminars and skating SCAHA, CAHA, ADHSHL, etc. games in an effort to help the next generation of LAHOA officials get to higher levels of hockey and maybe the NHL!
Congratulation on a great career, James!
The LAHOA Board of Directors approved a motion to not collect LAHOA dues for the 2020-21 season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is how it will work:
Please note that USA Hockey is moving their expiration dates for officials, coaches and players to occur on August 31st of each year, instead of November 30th, starting in 2021.
To be current in our scheduling system, Time To Score, you will need to have completed your registration requirements for USA Hockey for the 2020-21 season. Once you have completed your USA Hockey requirements, you can use the link below to confirm your registration.
Confirm Your 2020-21 Registration
Lastly, to vote in the upcoming board member election, you must be a “member in good standing” to vote. Meaning you must be fully registered with LAHOA.
LAHOA would like to congratulate the newly appointed California Referee-In-Chief, Thi Tran! Thi takes over for Alex Morrison who joined the CAHA Board of Directors this summer. Congratulates from all of us at LAHOA, Thi!