The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League has named Tracy Cook as the new Director of Officials. Cook takes over for Doug Lawrence, who resigned last month after serving in the capacity for the past four seasons. Cook, who makes his home in North Battleford as a full-time Business Manager at a local auto dealership, has been married for the last 18 years and, with his wife, is in the midst of raising two teenaged children. Cook began officiating as a referee in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1996, hanging up the blades for good following the 2005-06 season. Since that time, Cook has been one of the SJHLÕs Supervisor of Officials. That position has allowed Cook to watch games from the press box and work with referees and linesmen in a mentoring capacity to help improve their skills. ÒI really look forward to working with the officials and I, personally, have found it rewarding over the last couple of seasons to see the young referees and linesmen improve their craft. Seeing them get better as professionals is very exciting,Ó said Cook. ÒIt is a lot like coaching, only you work with officials as opposed to players.Ó The ever changing state of the game of hockey is something Cook feels he and his team will need to remain on top of. ÒI think with the two-referee system that a number of leagues have started to move toward has a trickle down effect and it impacts the SJHL for sure. But, I think we also have to make sure we can continue to bridge the understanding between officials and hockey teams for what the mandate is for each area. For a referee, the most important issues are safety, fairness, and thus allowing teams to compete. For teams, those priorities are often in reverse order.Ó ÒThe leadership in the SJHL has been outstanding in the area of officials over the last number of years. To continue that is going to be a challenge. Great leadership and outstanding officials are long traditions here (in Saskatchewan). I hope to continue that,Ó added Cook.
