A Note From: Bluewater Referees Association
As you are aware, minor hockey is suffering from a shortage of referees this season. This is not unique to Lambton County, but the Bluewater Referees Association has lost over 50% of its skating officials from two seasons ago. This is creating new challenges for all of us. The unfortunate reality is that we don't have enough officials for all of the games in Lambton County, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays. We have already been forced to cancel a number of games in the past week due to the shortage of officials. In an effort to keep all parties informed, the BRA executive has developed a process that I will follow as we approach games that are at risk of being cancelled:
- No officials 72 hours from game start - BRA Assignor will notify league scheduler of the unfilled game and will open up to out of town officials
- No officials 48 hours from game start - BRA Assignor will send update to league scheduler of unfilled game
- No officials 24 hours from game start - BRA Assignor will notify league scheduler that BRA cannot cover the game
It should be noted that we have not had success this season getting out of town officials since the surrounding cities are also short and those officials are skating multiple games in their home centre. However, we will reach out and do our best to fill your games. We ask for your understanding and patience as we work through these challenging times.
Regards,
Ian Dunn, BRA Assignor
Joel Hodgson, BRA President
Anyone interested in becoming an on-ice official this season may submit an email to
[email protected]