Unless, you have earned the sheer respect of those who played the game while you were the man in charge of giving everybody a level playing field in a safe environment.
Gary Callahan was caught off guard, his heart touched for sure, when he received a standing ovation from players, coaches and parents after being presented with a Special Recognition Award from Corner Brook Minor Hockey Association at the group’s year-end awards banquet Wednesday night.
“It shows the respect they have for him,” Corner Brook minor hockey president Cara-Leigh Wyllie said of the warm applause displayed when the grandfather of officiating was presented with a frame picture of him signing the scoresheet of his last minor hockey game.
Wyllie explained that every now and then the minor hockey association acknowledges a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the game. She said it was only fitting to recognize Callahan’s commitment when it became clear he would be hanging up his referee jersey at the end of the season.
Callahan spent his weekends doing minor hockey games getting up early to share the ice with kids, when he could have easily stayed in bed and let somebody else do it. More importantly, he proved to be a positive influence on young officials as he provided leadership to the officials program and acted as a mentor for the rookies coming into a thankless job with pocket money as the only reward.
“Gary’s been kind of a fixture at the rink for many years, but it’s more than what he brings on the ice it’s what he brings off the ice,” Wyllie said.
Callahan had his photo taken after he officiated his last game — the gold medal-game at the Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador Mega Tournament. That photo was framed and presented to him at the year-end banquet earlier this week as a token of the association’s appreciation for his dedication to the game and support of young stripes learning the ropes.
Veteran official Ed Flood shared the ice with Callahan for over 400 games since they became good friends through the game. He busted a gut laughing on many occasions as Callahan had a zest for storytelling and making light of the worse scenarios that could arise in a game.
Flood considers Callahan one of the best he’s had the pleasure of calling a game with and believes he will be missed by all those who shared the ice with him — from young officials to the players and coaches who seemed to embrace it when they saw he was the guy in charge.
“He just made the game fun,” Flood said. “He took every bit of enjoyment that he could possibly take out of it and he tried his best to share it with everybody in the rink.”
Twitter: @WS_SportsDesk
Unless, you have earned the sheer respect of those who played the game while you were the man in charge of giving everybody a level playing field in a safe environment.
Gary Callahan was caught off guard, his heart touched for sure, when he received a standing ovation from players, coaches and parents after being presented with a Special Recognition Award from Corner Brook Minor Hockey Association at the group’s year-end awards banquet Wednesday night.
“It shows the respect they have for him,” Corner Brook minor hockey president Cara-Leigh Wyllie said of the warm applause displayed when the grandfather of officiating was presented with a frame picture of him signing the scoresheet of his last minor hockey game.
Wyllie explained that every now and then the minor hockey association acknowledges a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the game. She said it was only fitting to recognize Callahan’s commitment when it became clear he would be hanging up his referee jersey at the end of the season.
Callahan spent his weekends doing minor hockey games getting up early to share the ice with kids, when he could have easily stayed in bed and let somebody else do it. More importantly, he proved to be a positive influence on young officials as he provided leadership to the officials program and acted as a mentor for the rookies coming into a thankless job with pocket money as the only reward.
“Gary’s been kind of a fixture at the rink for many years, but it’s more than what he brings on the ice it’s what he brings off the ice,” Wyllie said.
Callahan had his photo taken after he officiated his last game — the gold medal-game at the Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador Mega Tournament. That photo was framed and presented to him at the year-end banquet earlier this week as a token of the association’s appreciation for his dedication to the game and support of young stripes learning the ropes.
Veteran official Ed Flood shared the ice with Callahan for over 400 games since they became good friends through the game. He busted a gut laughing on many occasions as Callahan had a zest for storytelling and making light of the worse scenarios that could arise in a game.
Flood considers Callahan one of the best he’s had the pleasure of calling a game with and believes he will be missed by all those who shared the ice with him — from young officials to the players and coaches who seemed to embrace it when they saw he was the guy in charge.
“He just made the game fun,” Flood said. “He took every bit of enjoyment that he could possibly take out of it and he tried his best to share it with everybody in the rink.”
Twitter: @WS_SportsDesk
