SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014
SIJHL to use 4-man officiating system for second half of season and playoffs
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League announced today that commencing immediately it will use a four-man officiating system of two referees and two linesmen for the 2014 portion of the regular season schedule as well as the Bill Salonen Cup playoffs.
The league had worked mainly with three-man crews in the first half of the season with a number of games using the four-man system as a prelude to the full-time change.
“The SIJHL wishes to acknowledge the governors of each member club along with the officiating fraternity on both sides of the border for their cooperation in making this change a reality,” stated league President/Commissioner Ron Whitehead.
“With the extra referee on the ice it is felt that the game will be much safer for the players and therefore will become much faster and more exciting, thus making it more enjoyable for our fans,” added Whitehead.
The use of the four-man system will also acclimatize the SIJHL side that will move on to represent the league at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada in Wellington, Ont., as all Canadian Junior Hockey League regional championships as well as the RBC Cup national Jr. A event uses four-man crews for all contests.
Game action in the SIJHL resumes Friday and Saturday with the Fort Frances and English River along with Minnesota and Wisconsin skating in a pair of home-and-home affairs while Dryden will host Thunder Bay in back-to-back games.