Being part of the hockey world isn鈥檛 limited to those people who want to strap on skates, grab a stick and play the game.

Starting when he was about seven, Caden Dehoog played minor hockey in Salmon Arm. His dream was not unlike those of other kids: to one day play in the NHL.

A few years after his family moved to the Shuswap, and with support from hockey mentors, he attended the BC Hockey Summer Officiating School in Osoyoos. Since then he hasn鈥檛 stopped officiating, developing his skill level over the years, including a second camp in Osoyoos.

This year, returning to Salmon Arm at age 20, Dehoog saw the camp through a different lens 鈥� as one of the instructors.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty surreal being back on the other end of camp,鈥� he said on Friday, Aug. 5 as the Salmon Arm camp was getting underway.

Forty kids, ages 12 to 18, from the Yukon to the Lower Mainland and points in between, were participating in the five-day camp, staying onsite at the Shaw Centre and the curling rink for ice sessions, meetings, accommodation and meals. The camp moved from Osoyoos to Salmon Arm this year after being on hold for two years due to the pandemic.

On Friday, just before noon, participants were over at South Broadview school, taking a break from learning to play a few games of kickball. Watching the action was Bobby Williamson from Summerland, one of the lead instructors, who said some of the participants were recommended by their minor hockey associations.

Along with teaching, the instructors get a chance to see who might be ready for higher level games.

Both males and females are instructors at the camp, with the number of girls who are becoming referees growing all the time.

Dehoog began officiating 鈥榓bove minor鈥� when he was 16 and has most recently been working Junior B games in the Lower Mainland while attending university.

鈥淚 played junior hockey for one season out in Chase. I decided to step away and take officiating 鈥� being able to play the game at a certain level of speed and then also being able to work it at an even better level, a quicker speed, and to see opportunities of hockey you just wouldn鈥檛 see as a player, it鈥檚 just quite amazing. And being able to meet some great people like my fellow instructors that I鈥檝e worked with in the past is absolutely amazing,鈥� he said enthusiastically.

He continues to work toward his officiating goals.

鈥淛ust like a player, I want to go to the National Hockey League. I want to work some sort of professional hockey and take this dream to the extent. More closely, the Western Hockey League is definitely the next step for me.鈥�

Asked about the negativity sometimes aimed at officials, he remained positive.

鈥淥bviously in my time officiating, I鈥檝e gotten my fair share of, I guess, abuse, from certain coaches and players and things like that, but over the last couple of years Hockey Canada and BC Hockey have been working really hard to make situations good. I haven鈥檛 had an experience that鈥檚 made me want to stop officiating, because of the support I鈥檝e gotten from my peers and leaders alike,鈥� he said.

The best part of refereeing, for him, is being able to still be in the game, experiencing higher-level hockey and connecting with people he went to officiating camp with many years ago.

鈥淏eing able to be in the sport that I love with people that I鈥檝e known and had such good bonds with over the years.鈥�

Dehoog said his family is a hockey family. He notes his younger brothers both play hockey and referee, and his sister sometime score keeps. His parents always volunteered with home tournaments.

Another camp instructor with Salmon Arm connections is Connor Simmons. He expects to be moving to the Shuswap in the next few years as he and his girlfriend have purchased property here. She is the daughter of Scott Lachapelle, who happens to be referee-in-chief with Salmon Arm Minor Hockey. Simmons said the shared officiating background is a coincidence, but he鈥檚 looking forward to helping out when he moves.

Like Dehoog, the NHL is Simmons鈥� officiating end goal.

鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 looking at doing more the international side of the game, as I鈥檓 getting older and the NHL might be a little bit farther-fetched than I think. But to do something like the Olympics or the World Junior Championships for IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) is one of my biggest goals.鈥�

Currently he officiates at Junior B games and Youth Sport in the Lower Mainland and is a referee trainee with the Western Hockey League.

Simmons, too, speaks highly of refereeing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been great for me. I always kind of grew up as a shy kid. Refereeing got me out of my shell. Pretty much all of my close friends are from officiating or playing hockey.鈥�

Dehoog adds his recommendation.

鈥淭he opportunity to be involved in the sport as an official, it鈥檚 a great place to learn and to grow and to develop not only as an official but as a person, because you learn different life skills and how to approach conflict鈥� You can take it into your work place and into your lives and into marriages and stuff in the future too, so it鈥檚 very important.鈥�

Larry Krause with BC Hockey officiating development described Salmon Arm as a cherished partner in BC Hockey鈥檚 officiating program, providing the best of facilities and services.

鈥淭he staff inside Salmon Arm鈥檚 Shaw Centre, combined with the leaders from Salmon Arm鈥檚 Curling Club & recreation centre aquatic staff and our culinary expert, Chef Bert, provide a memorable experience for our BCHockey officials and instructional staff,鈥� he wrote in an email.

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