AYHL Referee in Chief, Ryan Honig featured in USA Hockey Magazine
June 20, 2008
From USA Hockey's Nationals An Honor For Those Who Have Earned Their Stripes

Image courtesy of USA Hockey

Most fans go to a hockey game and follow the puck dance and dart around the ice. Ryan Honig looks at the game from an entirely different perspective.

When you’ve dedicated half of your life to wearing the stripes, it’s bound to have an impact on how you view the world.

“I haven’t gone to an NHL game in 13 years and not watched the refs,” says the 26-year-old native of Hamburg, N.J. “And if you talk to all officials, that’s how they all are. We’re just able to relate to them more.”

Players, parents and coaches participating in a USA Hockey National Championship may not be able to relate to the challenges of keeping law and order on the ice, but they have to respect the job done by those in stripes.

Like the teams they judge, only the best are called to work a national tournament. And with so much riding on the line, only the strong survive.

“They’re looking for the whole package,” says Honig, who worked his seventh USA Hockey National Championship this year at the Ice House in Hackensack, N.J.

“You need to be an excellent skater, have excellent judgment and you have to know the rules. The more high level experience you have will definitely help because you’re not going to be feeling the pressure.”

While Nationals are a big deal for everyone involved, a referee can’t afford to get caught up in the excitement.

“As far as an official is concerned you’re going to go out and give your best every game,” said Honig, who has worked games from Peewee to minor pro hockey. “You have to block out what’s happening around but you still notice it.”

Even after miles around the rink, Honig fondly recalls his first National Championship experience. Coming in as an unknown commodity, Honig worked hard to catch the eye of the evaluators who carefully watch every game, and then took their critiques to heart.

“I ended up being a linesman for the Peewee championship, which blew my expectations away,” he said. “I went out there seeking criticism from the evaluators and kept trying to hustle all the time. I thought that was a good foot in the door.

Still, there is something special about working a National Championship tournament, where local New Jersey teams are facing off against teams from as far away as Los Angeles and Anchorage.

“Just the atmosphere here is something. You get to see the hockey world come together which is pretty cool,” he said.

“No matter how many of these you work, you still take pride that you’re here. It’s still a privilege to work these games but you know you can handle the situation.”