Published: October 24, 2015

---

This month's NHLOA member is Trevor Hanson.

 

The Richmond, BC native is entering his fourth season as an NHLOA member. Trevor who has a strong hockey background as he climbed up the ranks to play Junior A hockey with the Surrey Eagles in the competitive BCHL has developed his officiating skills in the Richmond Minor Hockey Association. Trevor worked the BCHL, WHL, AHL and a few other leagues before reaching the NHL. His hard work and dedication got him promoted recently to a full time position in the NHL. To know more about Trevor, enjoy this NHLOA member of the month article.

 

Q: How old are you?  

TH: I am 31 years old.

 

Q: Where are you born?

TH:  I was born in Richmond, BC and I now reside in Langley, BC.

 

Q: Which year did you get hired by the NHL?

TH: I was hired under a minor league contract for the NHL on September 2012.

 

Q: Are you a linesman or a referee?

TH:  I am a referee.

 

Q: What is your jersey number? Any reason behind this number?

TH:  I now wear jersey number 31. There’s no particular reason behind it. When I got promoted earlier this month, I needed to change my minor league number (I used to wear #47) to a number below 40 (full-time NHL referees wears numbers from 2 to 40). From the numbers that were available I selected 31.

 

Q: What is your nickname within the group?

TH:  Hans, Hanny

 

Q:  How old were you when you first started officiating? Why did you start?

TH:  I first started officiating at 13. It was a great way to earn a few bucks while also getting some extra ice time. I never in a million years thought that it would lead to where I am now!

 

Q: Did you play hockey, and if so, for how long, or until what age?

TH: I played untilI was 18.  I played minor hockey for Richmond Minor Hockey Assn. growing up. I then played Junior B with the Grandview Steelers and the North Delta Flyers (PIJHL) before joining the Surrey Eagles in the BCHL Junior A league.

 

Q: What leagues did you work before joining the NHL staff?

TH:  I worked in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League (Jr.B), the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL Jr.A), the Western Hockey League (Major Junior) and the American Hockey League.

 

Q: Who has helped you the most throughout your journey to the NHL staff?

TH:  I would not be where I am right now without the support and teaching from Shawn McCaskill, Peter Zerbinos, Frank Broeders, Bob Hall and Kevin Muench.  These gentlemen taught me so much and helped me becoming the official that I am today. Also, I can't thank my family enough for all the support they have shown me throughoutthe ups and downs and the many sacrifices they had to make to get me where I am now.  My wife Amy and my son Owen, my parents Greg and Laura, my sisters Stacy and Jayme and my In-laws Bill and Laura, thank you for everything you guys have done and continue doing to let me live this awesome journey.

 

Q: What is the most memorable game you have worked so far?

TH:  My most memorable game so far has to be my first NHL game in Dallas (Oct. 24, 2013).  I guess there’s only one first! Having my family there and experiencingthat with them was something I will never forget. To be on the ice with the top players and top officials in the world is an awesome feeling, it gets your adrenaline going, what a feeling!

 

Q: Have you worked any international tournaments?

TH:  I worked the World Junior A Challenge in Penticton, BC in 2010. I also worked a World Junior A Challenge in Langley, BC in 2011. Then I was fortunate enough to travel internationally to Piestany in Slovakia to work the 2012 U18 Group A Division II tournament.

 

Q: What challenges do you face officiating at the NHL level?

TH:  The speed for sure!The players nowadays seem to always be getting faster! They are so good and so young at the same time. It hard to keep up with young legs like that but a proper training program on my skating speed and power help me a lot. I look up to some of our veteran officials in their fifties and I am amazed to see them skating like that every nights!

 

Q: What’s the best part of the job?

TH:  Well, you can’t beat the fact that you are making a living by being part of the best game on earth. Also, you get to share the same ice with the world’s best players. But at the end of the day, this job is such a thrill. You never know what to expect and the challenge of having to react in split seconds to such a quick game keep you on your toes every nights.

 

Q: What advice do you have for young officials?

TH:  Play as long as you can and work as many game as an official as possible. Always work to fine tune your officiating skills every time you can. Also, understanding the role of an official in the game will have you making the proper decisions and reaction on the ice and therefore you will gain the game’s participants respect quicker.

 

Q. You've recently got promoted to a full-time position in the NHL, what are the differences for a Referee to go back and forth in the AHL/NHL.

TH:  The pace of play is very similar although the NHL is quicker for sure! The main difficultly when doing the transition can be working an AHL game in the three men system one night and then the next night working an NHL game in the four men system.  The focus and the sightlines for the referee is not the same, it usually takes a few shifts in the game to get it right