Working the lines at nationals
Cape Breton’s Chad O’Neill gets opportunity to officiate at Telus Cup
GLACE BAY, N.S. — When Chad O’Neill began his hockey officiating career, he never thought much about the possibility of making it to the national level.
The Glace Bay product was still in high school and playing hockey at a competitive level but decided to give officiating a chance as a way to earn extra money on the side.
Eight years later, the 22-year-old O’Neill has progressed within the Hockey Nova Scotia officiating program and this past season worked more than 100 games, the majority at the elite level.
O’Neill’s talents were recognized by Hockey Nova Scotia, who put forth his name to be among the officials considered to work the Telus Cup under-18 national championship.
TOURNAMENT MOVED
The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Membertou and O’Neill had hoped to be part of the event in Cape Breton. However, the tournament was later moved to Okotoks, Alta.
It was then when O’Neill thought his chance to officiate at the national championship would have to wait, but that wasn’t the case. Shortly after the news, he was asked to be part of the officiating team for the event.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting it,” said O’Neill, a Level 3 official within the Hockey Canada program.
“I thought it would have been all Alberta officials doing the games, I honestly didn’t think they were going to send anyone from here, so I’m pretty grateful.”
O’Neill left for Alberta on Saturday and will be among 14 referees and linesmen assigned to the seven-day tournament, which begins Monday morning.
“It’s going to be fun to work those games,” said O’Neill, who will be a linesman for the event.
“The best under-18 major teams in the country are going to be there, so it should be really good hockey and I’m really happy to be part of it.”
O’Neill began his officiating career with the Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association under referee-in-chief Bobby O’Handley. He was later assigned elite level games at the regional level during the 2018-19 season and continued to climb the officiating ladder.
“I don’t think I realized the opportunities out there for officiating until about two years ago when I started travelling around more and seeing what officiating had to offer,” said O’Neill.
“It was a good way for me to stay involved in the game during and after my playing days and I really liked it so I stuck with it and here I am today.”
O’Handley recognized O’Neill’s officiating achievement.
“It’s quite an honour for Chad to be selected to officiate in this national tournament,” said O’Handley. “He is a great role model for our younger officials in the association and we are very proud of his accomplishment.”
This past season, O’Neill began working as a linesman in the Atlantic University Sport men’s division and also had an opportunity to line in the Maritime Junior Hockey League championship series between the Truro Bearcats and Summerside Western Capitals last month.
“They were pretty good games and there was a good atmosphere,” said O’Neill. “The games were pretty close, so it was a lot of fun to be involved in the games.”
O’Neill won’t be the only Nova Scotian to be assigned games at the Telus Cup. Drake Robinson of Timberlea will be a referee at the tournament, while Adam Culbert of Bridgewater and Garrett Merrill of Bedford will both work as linesmen.
Other officials working the tournament include Cédric Beaudet (Referee – Bécancour, Que.), Christian Dawe (Referee – Bay Roberts, N.L.), Maxime Ferland (Linesman – Ste-Catherine, Que.), Kaden Fiacco (Linesman – Regina, Sask.), Matthew Hanson (Linesman – Fredericton, N.B.), Jack Hennigan (Referee – Georgetown, Ont.), Kael Maltais (Referee – Spruce Grove, Alta.), Owen Middleton (Linesman – Abbotsford, B.C.), Jack Robinson (Referee – Cornwall, P.E.I.), and Brayden Stewart (Referee – Abbotsford, B.C.).
As for O’Neill, he didn't receive his officiating schedule for the tournament when reached by the Cape Breton Post on Friday, but he expected to be on the ice for one of the tournament games on Monday.