IIHF House of Hockey

Today has been another whirlwind day and when I start to think back to this morning I am yet again surprised by how much has happen since I woke up.  It was game day for me again and so whilst the focus for me was on doing my job on the ice there was so much else going on around me!

Gifts from the NHL

Washbag gift from the NHL officials

As at all previous Olympics the NHL officials have been a positive influence and a support to all of the officials here.  It would be so easy for them to come into this environment, forget about the female officials and not socialise with us.  Instead they are more supportive than you could imagine.  A number of them have come to watch the women’s games to support us and it really helps us to feel like part of a wider team of officials.  This morning at our team meeting two of the NHL officials joined us to give each of us a gift from the NHL.  They presented us with a wash-bag with the NHL logo on and Sochi 2014 along with a wooden engraved key-ring.  I think they were a bit overwhelmed by the emotional response of 15 girls as we thanked them.  To these guys they are just wash-bags but to us girls the gesture is huge and the wash-bag with the NHL logo on is really cool.

Russia v Switzerland – Quarterfinal game

It was game day for me today with my third game of the Olympics to referee.  It was the quarter final game between host national Russia and Switzerland.  As with all Russian games the atmosphere and crowd was unbelievable.  In accordance with the IIHF social media policy I am not able to post anything about the game, however again I enjoyed the chance to referee at the Olympics and to work with my colleagues and friends on the ice.

Me with Therese and Denise before our game

Today the on-ice crew was extra special for me.  I finally got to work a game with the outfit girls – Therese from Sweden and Denise from Canada.  The three of us have become good friends over the years and although we have been at three tournaments as a group, we have never had the chance to work a game with the three of us on the ice.  When we saw we would be working together on the ice we all got quite excited and knew that we had to wear our smart blazers to the game so we looked like a team on arrival at the arena.  We have now purchased our matching outfits for the Sochi 2014 Olympics and they will be revealed very soon.  However for the game day today we went with our blazers from Ottawa and a lot of the volunteers complimented us on how coordinated we looked when we arrived for the game.  Every year for the last few years we have seen each other at tournaments and become good friends and it was truly an honour to work with both Therese and Denise on the ice.  Off the ice we have become good friends.  They have a great sense of humour and we have always had fun together with our outfits.  On the ice they are both outstanding linesman and it was a real privilege to work with them both.  Back home I rarely get a chance to referee games with other females and so I took a moment today to enjoy being on the ice with these two talented female officials.  They are awesome and we had a lot of fun working together.

I did have a sad moment when I realised that this may be the last tournament all three of us work together because you never know what may happen after an Olympics.  But, I do know that whatever happens to us all from an officiating perspective, our friendships will always be there.  I now have a good friend in Canada and in Sweden that I will stay in touch with.  Perhaps this is one of the greatest things about being at the Olympics.  The chance to make good friendships across the world that will last a lifetime.  Hockey brought us together and our friendships through the sport will stay with us for as long as we want.

Men’s team Russia v USA

Whilst I was focused fully on the game I was refereeing today, it would be difficult for me not to acknowledge the Olympic fever which gripped the park today as a result of the match being played at the Bolshoy Ice Dome.  The men’s tournament is fully underway and today saw the match-up between team USA and team Russia.  For anyone who knows about hockey this is a match not to be missed and a rivalry that runs very deep.  Back in 1980 in Lake Placid the "Miracle on Ice" happened which saw the USA national team, made up of amateur and collegiate players defeat the dominant and undefeatable Soviet Union national team which had won the gold medal in six of the seven previous Olympic games.  In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the “Miracle on Ice” the top sports moment of the 20^th Century.  Since then, games between team USA and team Russia have generated a lot of media attention and fans from each country have watched with passion and excitement to see which country will come out victorious. 

The whole park seemed consumed by the Russian peoples’ passion for hockey today.  Hockey fans swarmed in their thousands across the park as they made their way to the Bolshoy Ice Dome and the Shayba Arena as both team Russia men’s and women’s teams were playing at the same time.  Huge screens were set up in the middle of the park under the flame and the men’s team Russia v team USA game was played live on the screen for those fans who had not managed to get themselves a ticket.  When I realised that the game I was refereeing was on at the same time as the men’s game I had thought it may mean a smaller crowd for the women’s game.  I was however proved wrong as the women’s game was played in-front of a packed house just the same as the men’s game.  It seems Russian hockey fans are as passionate about their women’s national team as they are about their men’s national team which is fantastic to see and be a part of.

The men’s game didn’t disappoint the crowd and ended up going to over-time and penalty shots to decide a winner.  At the women’s game during the ice cleaning breaks the big screens in the arena were showing updates from the men’s game to the delight of the crowd who went wild and cheered their country on.  The game took 8 rounds of penalty shots to decide a winner and perhaps interesting for people back home is the rule difference between the EIHA (English Ice Hockey Association) and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation).  In England if a game is tied it goes to a shoot-out which is best of 3 shots with different players from each team required to take the shots.  If the game remains tied then it becomes a tie-break shoot out or a dual between a player from each team in a sudden death shoot-out.  The sudden death shots need to be taken by a different player from each team and players cannot take a second shot in the shoot-out until all players on the team have taken a shot.  Under the international rules after the best of 3 shots if the game remains tied the dual between the two players occurs but a team is permitted to use the same player over and over again for each shot.  Team USA did just this and used the same player for each penalty shot until they won.  The team USA victory resulted in a deflated home crowd of Russians leaving the park late in the evening in a very sombre mood.  However I am sure they will be back tomorrow cheering on their team as they play against Slovakia in the men’s tournament.

IIHF House of Hockey

Entrance to IIHF House of Hockey

After our games today the female officials were invited for a special dinner at the IIHF House of Hockey.  During every Olympics the IIHF sets up a House of Hockey which is an area where IIHF dignitaries, council members and team managers and coaches can escape to for peace and quiet away from the crowds.  The House of Hockey serves a wonderful dinner and also plays the hockey games live for people to watch as they relax in the comfort of the lounge.  This Olympics the House of Hockey is located underneath the Bolshoy Ice Dome and can be reached by walking through the security entrance and around the road inside and around the edge of the Bolshoy Ice Dome.

Female officials with the cup!

It is always an honour as an official to be invited to the IIHF House of Hockey and a privilege that we all really appreciate and enjoy.  The food was fantastic and we were also treated to a viewing of the Stanley Cup as it has made a trip to the Olympics and is being kept in the House of Hockey while it is here.  It was placed next to the IIHF World Championship trophy and so we all got a group picture with both trophies.

Good friends enjoying dinner together

It was the first time since our first day that we have had dinner together as a group.  Every other day we have all been on independent schedules depending on our game times.  It was nice to just sit surrounded by friends and enjoy the fact that we are all here together.

GB win Gold at Skeleton

It would be amiss for me not to mention that yesterday GB won our first gold medal of the 2014 Olympics taking our medal tally to 2 and doubling that of our medal count in Vancouver.  Lizzy Yarnold won gold at skeleton repeating the success of her friend Amy Williams in Vancouver 4 years ago.  It is fantastic to retain the British title for Skeleton and when I heard the news I was over-come by emotion.  Being here is one thing, but winning a medal for yourself and your country is quite something else.  Lizzy has put her life on hold to follow her dream and yesterday it came true.  I will never know what it will feel like to win a gold medal but I know just being here is overwhelming and an emotional roller-coaster.  There is nothing better than witnessing the success and achievement of someone who has worked so hard and been so dedicated to follow their dream.  Whilst I wasn’t able to go to the medal ceremony to sing the anthem and salute Lizzy I know my colleagues from UK Sport were there in full force and sang loud and proud for all of us.

I have a day off tomorrow from my duties and plan to take in some more of the Olympic atmosphere across the park – hopefully I will get a chance to fly the British flag in support of Lizzy.