It’s official, Dunning gets call from NHL
Tecumseh’s Mitch Dunning never got to realize his dream of making it to the National Hockey League as a player.
Dunning, who finished up his junior hockey career with the Windsor Spitfires in 2009-10, will make it to The Show this coming season after being hired by the NHL as a referee.
“It’s the NHL, it’s where every Canadian kid wants to be whether it’s as a player or an official,” the 26-year-old Dunning said Thursday. “I’m there with some of the best athletes in the world. It’s exciting and an exciting job.” Dunning, who has honed his skills in the American Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons, has been hired by the NHL to a minorleague contract. That means he’ll work a full slate of 80 games. Some will be in the AHL and some will be in the NHL.
“The NHL likes to ease referees in slowly,” Dunning said.
It’s been a meteoric rise for Dunning, who was working midget and juvenile hockey house league games just four seasons ago, but he’s moved up the ladder quickly. “I think my playing background helped me,” Dunning said. “I think the game and can move out there. I like to think I have a knack, but like everyone else I worked hard at being as good I can be and taking advantage of every opportunity I got night in and night out. “It’s just something I worked hard at. I’ve always pushed myself to be as good as I can be and excel at whatever my craft is. I always tried to be the best I could be and good things came to me.” Dunning served as a linesman in the OHL while working as a referee in the AHL. He was a linesman in both the AHL and NHL the previous season.
“You look at two different things,” Dunning said. “Reffing, you have to look at the play as a whole. As a linesman, you’re constantly tracking pucks and anticipating altercations because you’re the first guy in.”
A little more than a week ago, Dunning was called into the NHL offices in Toronto.
“They reached out to me,” Dunning said. “I was summoned to Toronto for a meeting and a world of things go through your mind. “First, I was thinking, ‘What’s this all about?’ I had no idea what to expect. When you’re called into the NHL offices, you get a bit excited, a bit nervous and a million things go through your head. “I had been working in the AHL all last season and was evaluated by an NHL supervisor on a regular basis. I wasn’t really expecting it, but that’s what you work for. Everyone reaches for the highest level.” Fortunately for Dunning, it was early in the nearly hour-long meeting that league officials quickly filled him in on the job. “They gave me a quick rundown of why I was in there,” Dunning said. “They gave me a rundown of the job itself and the expectations and what to expect from a travelling standpoint.
“I came home and my family was eager to hear word for word what happened, but really it was a whirlwind day. When all’s said and done, it was just a surreal experience. I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet.” And he’s not letting success go to his head. Dunning is continuing with his summer job as an instructor with Andy Paquette at Powertech Hockey in Tecumseh. “I haven’t collected a paycheque yet,” Dunning said. “It’s good working with kids on their power skating on and off the ice and I get to stay on the ice. I’ve worked with Andy since I was seven and he’s become a really good friend.
“I owe a lot to people and my parents (Jim and Kathy), my brother (Ryan) and fiancee (Heather Darroch) because it’s a dream to be able to skate hockey as a career and it’s really good I get to do my thing night in and night out, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my whole family. They’re the ones that are with me when I’m on top of the world and then some nights when there’s down times.”
I’ve always pushed myself to be as good as I can be and excel at whatever my craft is.