In addition to leading the country in players and coaches, Minnesota is proud to lead the nation in registered officials with more than 2,300 referees last season. To ensure all officials are ready to perform their duties at the highest possible level during the 2017-18 season, the USA Hockey Officiating program will be hosting over 60 referee seminars throughout the state this fall.

All USA Hockey Officials must attend a USA Hockey Officiating Seminar annually. Most seminars are scheduled between early September and early November. To find a seminar in your area, go to the “Seminars” page of the Officials section on USAHockey.com. Questions on seminars in your area should be directed to your district’s Supervisor of Officials.

The Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Hockey and the Minnesota Hockey Officials Association are partnering to host a special First-Year Youth Hockey Referee Seminar and Clinic for first-year officials on Saturday, Sept. 30. The full-day event will provide new officials the chance to complete the seminar requirement for their USA Hockey Level 1 certification, before attending the Minnesota Wild preseason game against the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center. During the event, participants will also have the chance to skate on the Xcel Energy Center ice, and will take part in a Q&A session with NHL referees. For more details, click here.

Before registering for a seminar, you must register with USA Hockey. Go to USAHockey.com and click on “Become a Member” to register as an Ice Official.

Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email within 24-hours and a copy of the USA Hockey Playing Rules & Casebook will be mailed within a week. You will also receive an email giving you information (including your USAH Officiating Number) relating to completing your online “Open Book Exam”.

Officials will need to complete United States Olympic Committee SafeSport training program, the online Officiating Education module program and their Open Book Exam, in addition to the USA Hockey registration and in-class seminar, to become a certified USA Hockey official. For a more detail overview of these steps, click here.

Thank you for your interest in becoming an on-ice official! Referees play a critical role in providing a fair and safe environment for all participants, and we’re excited to have you join our team.

Note: The 2017-18 season is a rule change year so officials are encouraged to review the playing rules changes for the upcoming year. Click here to view the most significant adjustments.