2024 CT Hockey Honorees

As a resident of Wethersfield, Lyman started officiating when the national governing body for ice hockey was AHAUS. He was one of the founding members of the USA Hockey officiating organization in CT and expanded his role to serve as the New England District Referee-in-Chief for 25 years. Through his guidance and mentorship, Lyman helped grow the officiating base at the grass roots level while catapulting  officials to some of the highest levels of hockey in the world, including the NHL, the AHL, the Olympics, and IIHF world championships. In 2010, Lyman received USA Hockey’s highest honor for officials – the Chet Stewart Award. Lyman retired and moved to South Carolina with his wife Doris. Lyman passed away on Sept 14, 2015.

Here is info from directly from Brian.

I know he started refereeing back when USA Hockey was AHAUS.  He did that for years and then began instructing new refs and would run clinics to get more people involved in refereeing.  When we watched NHL games dad liked to point out the refs that he taught and whether they were any good or not.  If the refs were from the east coast he was probably one of their instructors.  If not he was their instructors instructor.   For many years I don't think there were any refs from New England that my dad wasn't involved in their development as refs.  I believe he was also involved in developing the rules and rule changes over the years.      He was also one of the refs that the Whaler old timers would request for most of the games.  He was friends with Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty for many years.

I asked him a few times why he didn't ref NHL games.  He said he enjoyed helping people become better referees and that he also wanted to be home with his family and working with USA Hockey let him do both. 

Here is a posting from Harvey Cohen, former CT Referee-in-Chief on Lyman’s obituary page

It seems like just yesterday we were neighbors in Wethersfield, working hard at making the hockey officials of Connecticut the best in the country. Lyman was instrumental in all of our growth. I'll never forget working a high school game with Lyman and then the two of us being drafted to work the following game - a college club game in Norwich - because no other referees were there! All of our collaborations inside USA Hockey were built on friendship and caring and I will never forget about how much he meant to me.

From Dave Labuda, the current USA Hockey National Referee-in-Chief

Lyman was generous man with his time and his knowledge. He was passionate about hockey officiating and contributed for many years toward developing officials.

From Jim Dewhirst, the USA Hockey Southeast District Referee-in-Chief

Lyman was a great friend to the USA Hockey family and me. He was one of the first to reach out to me as a new RIC and always provided great counsel and friendship. I loved having him in the Southeastern District for the last several years as he was a great teacher to the younger officials. He shall be missed but never forgotten.

From Brent Colby, an active official in the AHL from here in CT

I owe a lot to Lyman for helping me be successful in my officiating career. He helped me achieve my goal of officiating in the AHL with the guidance and knowledge of his multiple years of dedicated Volunteering to USA hockey. Thank you Lyman for all your help, when it was early in my career. 

One of the Founders of Simsbury Youth Hockey where he coached for over 20 years. His passion and love of the game continues on with his six sons who have, or are coaching at Simsbury youth hockey, Simsbury High School, Northwest Catholic High School , Conrad High School, and others. Sixteen of his grandkids played hockey ensuring the continuation of his legacy.  

Paul's Referee Story:

I took an unlikely path to a long career as a hockey referee. I grew up in New Britain CT in the 1950’s when there were very few indoor rinks and no organized youth hockey in the area. I had skates, a hockey stick and enjoyed pond skating. Growing older my motivation for going to the pond was more about hanging out with girls than pushing pucks. I think that I outgrew my last pair of skates at age 15.

In 1981 my 7 yr old son, Kevin, brought home a flyer from his Tolland school regarding a six week “learn to skate” program at the nearby Bolton Ice Palace. It seemed like a good idea. We bought him used skates and a helmet and he seemed to enjoy the experience. That summer a family friend convinced us to sign Kevin up for Eastern Connecticut Hockey Organization (ECHO)’s Mite program at the Bolton rink. Kevin could barely skate but our friend said “I’m VP for Mites and Instructional and Kevin will get plenty of ice time.” Little did we know back then that hockey would impact our lives in many ways for years to come. The 1980’s was a time of growing interest in hockey after the “Miracle “ at Lake Placid and the arrival of the Whalers in Hartford. Over the next 6-7 years at ECHO I moved from parent to assistant coach, head coach, board member/scheduler, CHC representative and finally a referee. ECHO did not hire referees for Mite games and eventually the Board decided that the volunteer refs should be certified. 

In 1986 I attended a seminar at the Bolton Rink conducted by CT RIC Walter Mather and Harvey Cohen. I am guessing that I worked my first game as a certified official at age 41. Joining the Northern CT/IHONC referee group a couple years later opened my eyes to a different refereeing world. What do I remember about those early years? Our membership included the CT RIC, New England District RIC and officials working high school, NCAA and AHL games. If you were a new official you had to attend monthly meetings. You mailed in your availability a couple months in advance and received a schedule by mail. If you couldn’t do a game, you had to find a sub. Training was important then and now at every meeting. I very much benefited from the training, working with different officials and traveling to the rinks and programs we serve. I enjoyed working Christmas tournaments, especially Simsbury, state tournament games and Wolfpack pre-games at the Civic Center. Perhaps there was a time when “three baggers” and higher level games were preferred. That changed over time as did the youth hockey landscape. IHONC was a leader locally and nationally in mentoring new officials and it was satisfying to be involved in program. I’ve worked lower level games with newer officials which helps reduce attrition.

When I reflect on my hockey journey I recall the expression “Hockey is a small world.” In 1985 I was Ron Hainsey’s first hockey coach at ECHO. He played in the NHL for 19 years and won the Stanley Cup as a Pittsburgh Penguin. In 1990 I was coaching the ECHO Squirt A team in a game against Avon Youth Hockey at the Avon Old Farms Rink. We took 5-0 drubbing and the kids were kind of down and out in the locker room. The door opened and Ron Francis walks in. I saw tears turn to joy. He was great with the kids. A while back long time NHL linesman Kevin Collins spoke at our IHONC end of the year banquet. His passionate plea for excellence and support of new officials appears annually on the USA Hockey training video. I have five grandchildren who are/were hockey players. I was always hoping that maybe one of them might want to be a referee. Grandkid#4 Teddy Bogue(11) became certified and I stepped on the ice with him for his first game at Wonderland of Ice on January 21, 2024. No doubt this was a highlight of my career.