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American Officials Well Represented at IIHF Events This Season

By USA Hockey, 05/25/23, 3:45PM MDT

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List of 37 includes 18 female officials, 11 male officials and eight officiating coaches

The U.S. had 29 representatives on the ice officiating International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments, along with eight officiating coaches, across 12 events this season. The list included 18 female officials and 11 male officials with five male and three female officiating coaches.

On the men’s side, Nicholas Briganti, Jake Davis, Sean Fernandez and Sean MacFarlane are currently in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship that opened May 12 and will wrap on May 28.  Fernandez is officiating his first Men’s Worlds, while this year’s tournament marks MacFarlane and Briganti’s second and Davis’ third.

For the women, Sarah BuckerJennifer CameronKelly CookeErika GreenenSamantha HillerChelsea Rapin and Amanda Tassoni served as officials at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Brampton, Ontario from April 5-16, 2023. This season’s tournament marked the first time on the ice at Women’s Worlds for Bucker, Cooke, Greenen, Hiller and Rapin, while it was the second time for both Cameron and Tassoni. Cooke and Rapin, however, previously officiated the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

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Peter Schlittenhardt, JP Waleski and Riley Yerkovich served at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Moncton and Halifax, Canada from December 26, 2022 to January 5, 2023. Schlittenhardt and Waleski were both on the ice at the 2022 Under-18 Men’s World Championship, while this marked the first “A” pool event for Yerkovich.

Additionally, Nolan Bloyer and Shane Gustafson served as officials at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship from April 20-30 in Basel and Porrentruy, Switzerland. The tournament marked the first IIHF assignment for Bloyer and the second for Gustafson, who wore the stripes at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games.

Melanie Gotsdiner, Taylor Hanvelt, Jenna Janshen and Breana Kraut were on the ice at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Östersund, Sweden from January 8-15. It was the first IIHF assignment for Gotsdiner and Kraut and the second for Janshen, who officiated last year’s event in Madison, Wisconsin.

Lastly among men’s tournaments, Christopher Williams  and Jack Young were on the ice at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Division I, Group A. It was the first IIHF assignment for Young and the second for Williams.

To wrap up on the women’s side, Jestina Vichorek, Mackenzie Welter, Kirsten Welsh and Laura White served at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group A tournament; Brooke Branson and Melissa Doyle officiated at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group B tournament; and Krysta Ansell served at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Division II, Group B.

The eight officiating coaches include: Keith Kaval (World Juniors), Matt Leaf (Under-18 Men’s World Championship Division II, Group A; Under-18 Men’s World Championship Division III, Group A), Jessica LeClerc (Women’s Worlds), Stacey Livingston (Women’s Worlds; Women’s World Championship Division II, Group B), BJ Ringrose (World Juniors), Timothy Serratore (Women’s Worlds, World Juniors), Mellissa Szkola (Under-18 Women’s Worlds) and Scott Zelkin (Men’s Worlds).

IIHF Assignments For American Officials

NAME POSITION EVENT HOMETOWN
Krysta Ansell Referee 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Division II, Group B Allen Park, Mich.
Nolan Bloyer Referee 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship Andover, Minn.
Brooke Branson Linesperson 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group B Savage, Minn.
Nicholas Briganti Linesperson 2023 IIHF Men's World Championship Newington, Conn.
Sarah Buckner Linesperson 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Plymouth, Minn.
Jennifer Cameron Linesperson 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Northborough, Mass.
Kelly Cooke Referee 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship West Roxbury, Mass.
Jake Davis Linesperson 2023 IIHF Men's World Championship New Boston, Mich.
Melissa Doyle Referee 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group B White Bear Lake, Minn.
Sean Fernandez Referee 2023 IIHF Men's World Championship South Lyon, MI
Melanie Gotsdiner Linesperson 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Plano, Texas
Erika Greenen Linesperson 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Romeoville, Ill.
Shane Gustafson Linesperson 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship Greenville, S.C.
Taylor Hanvelt Referee 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Mikana, Wis.
Samantha Hiller Referee 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Gurnee, Ill.
Jenna Janshen Referee 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Miles City, Mont.
Keith Kaval Officiating Coach 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Erie, Pa.
Breana Kraut Linesperson 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship Pinckney, Mich.
Matt Leaf Officiating Coach Under-18 Men’s World Championship Division II, Group A; Under-18 Men’s World Championship Division III, Group A Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jessica LeClerc Officiating Coach 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship South Portland, Maine
Stacey Livingston Officiating Coach 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Fort Mill, S.C.
Sean MacFarlane Referee 2023 IIHF Men's World Championship Otis Orchards, Wash.
Chelsea Rapin Referee 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Essex Junction, Vt.
BJ Ringrose Officiating Video Coach 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Colorado Springs, Colo.
Peter Schlittenhardt Referee 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship South Plainfield, N.J.
Timothy Serratore Officiating Video Coach 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship; 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Colorado Springs, Colo.
Melissa Szkola Officiating Coach 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Amanda Tassoni Referee 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship Bradford, R.I.
Jestina Vichorek Referee 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group A Esko, Minn.
JP Waleski Linesperson 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Avoca, Pa.
Kirsten Welsh Linesperson 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group A Freedom, Pa.
Mackenzie Welter Referee 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group A Rome, N.Y.
Christopher Williams Linesperson 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Division I, Group A Davison, Mich.
Laura White Referee 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I, Group A Runnemede, N.J.
Riley Yerkovich Referee 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Shawnee, Kan.
Jack Young Referee 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Division I, Group A Arlington Hgts., Ill.
Scott Zelkin Officiating Coach 2023 IIHF Men's World Championship Long Grove, Ill.

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