TRURO, N.S. – As a new official assigned to novice games only, Sam Currie looked forward to the day when he could referee at the highest level in the West Colchester Minor Hockey Association.
“My goal when I first started was to ref midget A in Debert,” laughed Currie, of Masstown, reflecting on the start of his officiating career as a 10-year-old.
Now, 11 years later, and after working hundreds of games at various levels, Currie has reset his focus after earning his stripes in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season as a linesman. On Sept. 27, he officiated his first Q-league game in Halifax – the Mooseheads’ home opener against the Charlottetown Islanders.
“I was super-nervous,” said Currie, who drew his first major junior assignment in front of almost 8,000 fans at the Scotiabank Centre. “I was standing behind the time box (before the game) and I was just kind of looking around and checking out the building and the new score clock and everything and there were a lot more people than I’ve ever seen from the ice level before, and I was like, ‘oh my god.’”
As is tradition, fellow officials had Currie step on the ice first and skate a rookie lap by himself before they joined him.
Currie said once the puck dropped and he got into the game, the nerves went away.
“It went pretty smoothly; a few scrums and stuff, nothing really out of the ordinary that I’m not used to dealing with,” he said of the game. “It was all good. We had a couple of video reviews and that was all new to me, it was cool, but other than that it was just another hockey game.”
Currie has been on the Q-league’s radar as an official for about five years. He has attended three Don Koharski refereeing camps in New Brunswick and has worked several high-level games in Atlantic University Sport, Maritime junior A and Nova Scotia junior B leagues. He also officiated an Atlantic Challenge Cup tournament, and as a 16-year-old worked the NSSAF Division 1 provincial championship.
He was informed this summer by Jean Morin, the QMJHL’s director of officiating, that he had been hired to work games for the league this season throughout the Maritimes.
“It was pretty surreal when they handed me the jersey with my number and the crest on the front; it was pretty amazing,” said Currie, who said his promotion to the Q brings him one step closer to his goal of making it to the NHL.
As Fundy Zone supervisor of officials, Nelson Thompson has watched Currie grow and develop as an official, and said he isn’t surprised by the latest opportunity to come his way.
“He works hard at it and he knows what he wants,” Thompson said. “I don’t think the Q is the last step on his ladder; I think he’s going to push himself to want to go further where he’s relatively young.”
Currie grew up around the rink and played minor hockey in Debert and Brookfield. He admits his playing skills were limited, and felt officiating would provide an opportunity to stay close to the game he loves.
“I knew I wasn’t going anywhere as a player and I had friends that played major bantam and major midget and stuff like that and I always wanted to be on the ice, but I couldn’t, so this is my way of getting to a higher level and being involved in the game and that’s the way I got my foot in the door.
“I was always the person that always wanted to be at the rink,” he added. “I’d show up on Saturday morning and stay all day, it didn’t really matter what I was doing, sweeping the floor or on the ice, I was just always happy being at the rink.”
Currie said his family has played a big role in helping him get to this point in his officiating career. He also credits Thompson, and NHL referee Jon McIsaac and his brother Jamie – a former high-level referee in the Maritimes – for their support and feedback.
