These are busy days at The Blue Mountains, aka Thornbury, with Stanley Cup parades and more than 70 National Hockey League on-ice officials staging their training camp.
This is the 5th consecutive year the camp has been hosted there, using the Beaver Valley Community Centre as a headquarters.
The 2011-12 NHL season will require just over 30 referees plus some 40 linesmen and with head injuries dominating the news this offseason, there’s no question that’s been a focal point this week.
It’s a tough job, and there are many nights when viewing from a neutral position, I wonder who would want such a vocation.
The truth is many are called to officiating, but precious few make it.
The NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Terry Gregson is now a full time resident in our region and he admits there’s no cut & dried blueprint for an official to rise to the elite ranks of the National Hockey League.
Gregson’s best advice is to work hard, believe in yourself, take pride in your position, understand it’s a long road to the top and be aware, if you’re talented, someone of influence will always be watching or capable of hearing about your performance; good or bad.
That’s great advice for any profession.