USHL Officials Working 2010 Paralympics

Press Release

USA Hockey ODP graduates Berkebile, Bokal, Morrison, and Roethlisberger working Paralympics. Current & former USHL on-ice officials assigned to Vancouver Sledge Ice Hockey Tournament

Four former full time members of USA Hockey's Officiating Development program with extensive officiating experience in the United States Hockey League are participating as on-ice officials in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, BC.

They are working the Sledge Ice Hockey competition which has teams participating from eight nations, including the United States and Canada. The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sponsors the event. These are the 10th Paralympics Winter Games.

Derek Berkebile (Allen Park, MI), Scott Bokal (St. Louis, MO), Johnathan Morrison (Mason City, IA), and Brad Roethlisberger (Green Bay, WI) will be representing USA Hockey and the International Paralympic Committee as on-ice referees for the Sledge Ice Hockey Games. Two of the officials, Bokal and Morrison will be working their second Paralympics. The duo worked the gold medal game in the 2006 Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy. Berkebile, Bokal, Morrison, and Roethlisberger are experienced officials who after working initially in the USHL, spent a number of seasons working at the collegiate, professional, and international levels of ice hockey.

"I have had a lot of great opportunities in hockey, including my initial inclusion in the ODP and working in the USHL. However, I have had no more memorable experience than the recognition and personal reward of working the Paralympics," said Johnathan Morrison.

Sledge Ice Hockey was designed to enable participants who have physical disabilities to play ice hockey using modified equipment. Competitors sit on sleds designed specifically for playing ice hockey and propel themselves with shortened hockey sticks. One end of the stick is modified to help players gain traction and speed on the ice while the other end has a blade for shooting. While there are some rule modifications, the game rules are generally similar to other forms of ice hockey.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)