Category News

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 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:

• If you were a registered LAHOA member for the 2019-20 season, your dues expiration date is being moved to August 31, 2021.
• If you have already paid your dues for the 2020-21 season, your dues expiration date will be moved to August 31, 2022.

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.