It is not only the more than 200 players in the Elite League who are preparing for the new season – our team of about 50 game officials are also hard to prepare for 2025/26.
While most teams come in their preseason with a handful of matches spread over a few weeks, referee Chris Wells had a whirlwind for a few days last week. On Thursday evening he made his Champions Hockey League debut as a referee in Belfast when the Giants Kalpa Kuopio organized. Less than 24 hours later he was in Coventry for their collision with MK Lightning, before he went to Sheffield on Saturday to take the lead over the Steelers’ meeting with the Devils.
“It was a crazy week, but a good one!” Wells admitted. “It actually started the weekend before in our training camp with fitness tests and preparation. You come out of that focused and ready, which was important for me on my way to such a busy week.”
Ryan Fraley and Nathan Carmichael, his CHL debut next to Andy Dalton and was a highlight of the career:
“Three games in three days are always difficult, but the first was huge for me. It was my first in the CHL as a referee, which was a big milestone. The pace and skill level are so high, and with so many eyes on you throughout Europe there is extra busy – but I thought it was great and came from ice creams.
“The biggest thing I have taken from it was how quickly you have to make decisions. Everything happens that is faster, so there is no time to guess yourself. You have to trust your instincts, your teammates and decisive under pressure. That experience early is enormous for building trust and sharpness for the season.”
After Belfast the right was in a plane for Coventry and then Sheffield the next evening. For Wells, the preseason is just as important for civil servants as for players:
“Pre-season is a great opportunity to refine things, collaborate with new officials, and ultimately we do the same as the teams that are there: we want to make sure that we are well conditioned, stay focused and push ourselves to be ready for when the seasons begins,” he went on.
“At the end of those little details you want to focus on which you concentrated at the end of last season, or new things you picked up with new officials. All officials push themselves and each other, even if you work with someone who takes a tumbling or two! But it has been a good start to what will be an exciting year.”
Photo: William Cherry/Presseye
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