Photo credit: Western Hockey League

By Regan Bartel

Kevin Muench is behind the whistles

‘We want the best officials’ – Senior Director of Officiating for WHL

Mar 3, 2023 | 6:00 AM

While Western Hockey League teams are jockeying for playoff positioning, don’t sleep on the officials, both referees and linesmen that are pursuing an opportunity of being involved in the postseason.

It is the responsibility of Kevin Muench, the Senior Director of Officiating for the WHL, to see who has progressed over the season to be given the tap on the shoulder to be a part of the staff when the playoffs begin on March 31st.

“It is a performance industry”, Muench told RocketFAN in an inclusive interview this week. “Whether it is working on fitness, their mental skills, time away from home, time away from work, so it takes a lot to be involved here.”

Muench, who spent 13 seasons as a WHL referee in his own right, has to make the tough decision of who has been the most consistent in the games they’ve been assigned during the regular season, either by assessing a performance live or by videotape.

“I think sometimes it is disappointing for them”, Muench said honestly when being told they (officials) need more seasoning before receiving a playoff assignment. “When you look at our staff, we are going to have a lot of good officials to choose from. We have individuals who go to the Olympics, the World Juniors, and the World Championships, and we have seven of our staff that are working games in the American Hockey League.

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“I think that competition is healthy and makes them better. I think a little disappointment is good as a prod to make you better for next year.”

With Kamloops hosting the 2023 Kia Memorial Cup, Muench is also tasked with separating the wheat from the chaff, selecting two referees, and possibly as many as three linesmen for the high-profile event.

“The players are participating for playoff spots and so are the officials”, Muench added. “We are putting eyes on our officials right now. The officials working deep into the playoffs will move to the championship series and then we will make our selection as to who goes to the Memorial Cup.”

Brent Iverson, who called a game between the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs Wednesday night at Prospera Place, officiated at the Olympics.

The WHL also had two referees participate at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Neither was eligible to work in the gold medal game because Canada was facing off against Czechia.

They both worked the bronze medal game instead.

While busy evaluating talent, no effort is spared to find new officials to be added to the flock.

“We want the best possible officials coming to work for us and we will do whatever we can to find them.

“It is unfortunate that we are having problems at every level of hockey getting enough officials”, Muench said. “Officiating is such a great thing to get into. It is about teamwork. It is about confidence, learning communication skills, and dealing with adversity.”

Muench says close to 10 new referees and 10 new linesmen were added to the WHL this season, which he suggests is a higher number than in past years.

“We do a lot of recruiting looking for new officials. We build a little bible every year of all the leagues across Western Canada, and the Pacific Northwest of the officials that are working, so we have a list of every possible official we can be looking at.

“Whether that’s male or female, it is a great industry to get into and every year we are looking to recruit.”

Speaking of female officials, the WHL has one, when Alex Clarke was added last season as a linesperson.

“Officiating for females is a growing industry”, Muench added. “There are a lot of excellent female officials, in fact, there are several in the area [Okanagan] that work a lot of junior A hockey.

“We have had them at our camps and track them as we do with the rest of our prospects. To me, gender is not important. We want the best. There will be more [female] officials working in the Western Hockey, and I have no doubt in the near future there will be one working in the National Hockey League. That is just how good female officials are getting.”

Muench says the majority of officials that enter the WHL have the same intentions as the players.

The goal is a pro opportunity.

“Our crew of officials on the ice are really dedicated. They love hockey just like the players and coaches do and to preform at this level, they have to be really committed to the game.”

How good is the WHL officiating program?

Thanks to Muench, who has held his post as senior director of officiating since 2001, the league has sent one official to the National Hockey League for assignment in each of the last ten seasons.