Jim Doyle interviews the Atlantic District's Harry Dumas on his experience officiating this years tournament
Jim Doyle: Can you give us a brief description of your officiating experience over the past 10 years leading up to working International Assignments?
Harry Dumas: My career with the NHL ended in 2006 and began to work for Paul Stewart in the ECAC College Division 1 four years ago.
I attended USA Hockey's"Elite Officiating Experience" development camp in the summer of 2011, which serves as an entry point to international officiating opportunities for American officials. While still working ECAC, I was able to attend and officiate several World Championships for the IIHF. These championships include the 2011 World Men's Division 1 in Budapest, Hungary; the 2012 World Under 18 in Brno, Czech Republic; and the 2013 World Under 20 in Ufa, Russia.
JD: Since you had previously worked IIHF games as a Referee, what types of communication challenges did you encounter on and off the ice?
HD: One of the greatest aspects of working an IIHF event (at least as an English-speaking American!) is that the official language of the IIHF and international hockey is English. The benefit of this is most officials you work with can speak relatively fluent English. One strategy I found that has really helped me out is to make an early friendship with an official from the host country who can act as both tour guide and personal interpreter (tip-bring lots of gifts from America to make quick friends).
JD: When you arrived in the Russia, what were your first impressions of the cities and the people that you came in contact with?
HD: This tournament was held entirely in the city of Ufa (which I had never heard of before I was assigned the tournament). Ufa is 2 hours (by plane) east of Moscow - yes, almost to Kazakhstan for those that know the region. First impression was ...well... COLD! The temperature during the 2 weeks hovered between minus 20 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow every day and I saw the sun twice in 2 weeks. Outside of this I found the city to be very pretty in the snowy winter. The streets were lit up with lights in the colors of the region, green, blue, and white. The people were all very friendly and they were as passionate about hockey as Philadelphia during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
JD: Walk us through a typical game day routine for this type of event.
HD: Typical game day routine was to get up and have breakfast as a team. Nearly every meal was eaten together as an officiating team - which is a great opportunity to hear about your fellow officials' countries, families, and hockey background. This is also the time where all of the great stories from the previous day's games are relived.
After breakfast, officials head to either the gym or the rink to work-out, stretch, and get some ice time. After morning work-outs, there is generally a team meeting where topics such as rule enforcement, game situations, and areas of emphasis are discussed. Video is utilized extensively as a teaching tool in these sessions.
Following classroom, grab some lunch and relax for an hour or two before the games commence for the day. Every official has a job every day at the rink - whether it is to officiate the game, be a standby official, or act as a goal-judge, the day revolves around the game and when the game is on there is no better place to be but at the arena. After the game the officials all head back to the hotel, grab dinner as a team, and head to bed to rest up for the next day's work.
JD: What was the most challenging situation you encountered on the ice from a communication standpoint and how did you resolve it? And the same for off the ice with the communication challenges.
HD: Communication on the ice has never really been an issue. Referees have their whistles and their signals and I have always followed the advice where if you do not know what you are doing - always at least look like you know what you are doing - and that is half the battle. Off the ice is a whole different story though.
My biggest communication challenge by far was at this year's tournament in Russia. I came down with a terrible sinus infection for which I ultimately had to seek medical attention. I will spare everyone the entire story but it involved physicians from Czech Republic, Russia, and America, several Russian interpreters, a trip to a Russian hospital, X-rays to the chest and face, and the threat of use of a ten inch hypodermic needle. Needless to say - it was an experience - but I made it home safe and without a sinus infection.
JD: The other officials assigned to the tournament, where did they come from, and had you worked with any of these officials before?
HD: This tournament featured officials from America, Canada, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Sweden, and Finland. All officials came from many disparate backgrounds and countries but all came together as a team with through the common love participating in the great game of hockey as officials.
JD: Can you give us some insight to the conversations in the locker room before the games or after the games in respect to everyone getting on the same page?
HD: As a testament to how much of a world sport the game of hockey is, the locker room conversations of Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia are eerily similar to those of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The interesting thing was the English is sometimes better overseas in these locker rooms!
And yes - even in these foreign and not so glamorous lands... the refs still get stuck in the worst locker rooms in the building. There is no place like home...there is no place like home...
JD: What would you tell officials that have aspirations to work the most competitive levels of hockey as they pursue their individual dreams?
HD: My advice is to always work each game as if it is your last and always strive to improve your skating, positioning, and rule knowledge. Enjoy each opportunity to have to walk into the rink - no matter if it is a mite game, a high school game, or a professional game. I have had the great fortune of having such great role models and mentors in my career.
People such as Dave Cardillo, Ken Tew, Mike Condon, Jim Doyle, and Kerry Fraser were very instrumental in supporting me as I began my officiating career. My father has always been my greatest role model and hero and I still get a kick catching up with him on Sunday nights after probably way too much time spent at the rink over the weekend.
Please remember the people who helped you along the way and remember to give as others have given to you. This is what drives me as I coach both of my son's hockey teams...and visit an ice rink every day of the week (except Thursday)!
Special thanks to Jim Doyle and Harry Dumas for providing us with this interview!
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