Off-Ice Officials at Michigan State University

Contact us Scores   NCAA Frozen Four   2007 at St. Louis, MO 2010 at Detroit, MI 2011 at St. Paul, MN 2012 at Tampa, FL   MSU Hockey   MSU Men's Hockey MSU hockey blog Blue Line Club Hockey alumni Munn Ice Arena Womens "A" program Womens "B" program   Other Links   CCHA Championship rings Cold War (2001) College Hockey News, video CSTV Fox Sports Net Detroit Hober Baker Award Hockey fights Inside College Hockey Joe Louis Arena Michigan College Hockey NCAA NHL OfficialGamePuck.com US College Hockey Online   Polls   USA Today US College Hockey Online Rick Comley MSU Head Coach Fourth winningest coach in NCAA hockey; third among active coaches NCAA Division I Hockey Coaches Career wins Ron Mason, Michigan State (retired) Jerry York, Boston College Jack Parker, Boston University Rick Comley, Michigan State How We Started: Amo Bessone came to Michigan State College as hockey coach in 1951. He quickly enlisted the help of students to keep the official score sheet, manage the penalty boxes and operate the game clock. Unfortunately, student commitment was lacking, so Bessone asked his friend Bill Burgess for help. At the time, Burgess was simply another spectator who loved watching Spartan hockey in Demonstration Hall (directly north of where Munn Ice Arena is today). Burgess quickly became someone Bessone could depend on when a student helper was absent. Burgess recognized the need for help on a consistent basis. He asked a few of his friends to help him with various game chores. Coach Bessone began to rely on Burgess and his hand-picked squad to manage the game, enabling Bessone to focus his attention on coaching. (When keeping score, Burgess worked on a little brown, wobbly wooden table that rested between the two team benches!) Burgess' squad of "minor officials" may not have worn skates, but their role was no less important. Burgess was also instrumental in generating fan support by organizing the MSU Blue Line Club and serving as its first president. He died in 1999, proud of the assistance he was able to offer MSU, and of the squad he had formed 48 years earlier. The Burgess Connection: Barb Soper, Burgess' daughter, has been an MSU Off-Ice Official since 1985. Her son Andrew is now an NCAA hockey official. Former Crew Members: Bill Carter, Richard Boos, Phil Booth, Bill Burgess, Dennis Conway, Bob Foster, Art Fritz, Don Griffin, Marshall Haney, Fred Hawley, Ed Hodge, Harry Holmes, Dick Jandron, Paul Klein, Jerry Marshall, John Polomsky, Pete Schmidt, Jim Schulte, Don Shepard, Jerry Sutton, Brad Vandeventer Did we miss someone? Please let us know. Tom Anastos Commissioner Central Collegiate Hockey Association Game Schedule 60:00 Start clock 55:00 Pre-game meeting w/Refs 44:00 5-Min Warning to Refs 43:00 5-Min Warning to teams 39:00 Refs take ice for warm-up 38:00 Teams take ice 24:00 Referees meet w/Captains 23:00 Teams & Refs leave ice 11:00 3-Min Warning to Refs 10:00 PA: 3-Min Warning to teams 8:00 Referees take ice 7:00 Teams take ice 6:00 Teams line up 5:00 Welcome; Starting line-ups 3:00 National Anthem 0:00 20-mins on clock; Face-off Intermissions (15-mins) 5:00 4-Min Warning to Refs 4:00 3-Min Warning to teams 3:00 PA: 3-Min Warning to teams NCAA National Champions Year Champion Runner-up Score Location 2012       Tampa, FL 2011       St. Paul, MN 2010       Detroit, MI 2009 Boston Univ Miami of Ohio 4-3 (OT) Washington, DC 2008 Boston College Notre Dame 4-1 Denver, CO 2007 Michigan State Boston College 3-1 St. Louis, MO 2006 Wisconsin Boston College 2-1 Milwaukee, WI 2005 Denver North Dakota 4-1 Columbus, OH 2004 Denver Maine 1-0 Boston, MA 2003 Minnesota New Hampshire 5-1 Buffalo, NY 2002 Minnesota Maine 4-3 (OT) St. Paul, MN 2001 Boston College North Dakota 3-2 (OT) Albany, NY 2000 North Dakota Boston College 4-2 Providence, RI 1999 Maine New Hampshire 3-2 (OT) Anaheim, CA 1998 Michigan Boston College 3-2 (OT) Boston, MA 1997 North Dakota Boston Univ 6-4 Milwaukee, WI 1996 Michigan Colorado College 3-2 (OT) Cincinnati, OH 1995 Boston Univ Maine 6-2 Providence, RI 1994 Lake Superior Boston Univ 9-1 St. Paul, MN 1993 Maine Lake Superior 5-4 Milwaukee, WI 1992 Lake Superior Wisconsin 4-2 Albany, NY 1991 Northern Michigan Boston Univ 8-7 (3OT) St. Paul, MN 1990 Wisconsin Colgate 7-3 Detroit, MI 1989 Harvard Minnesota 4-3 (OT) St. Paul, MN 1988 Lake Superior St. Lawrence 4-3 (OT) Lake Placid, NY 1987 North Dakota Michigan State 5-3 Detroit, MI 1986 Michigan State Harvard 6-5 Providence, RI 1985 Rensselaer Providence 2-1 Detroit, MI 1984 Bowling Green Minnesota-Duluth 5-4 (4OT) Lake Placid, NY 1983 Wisconsin Harvard 6-2 Grand Forks, ND 1982 North Dakota Wisconsin 5-2 Providence, RI 1981 Wisconsin Minnesota 6-3 Duluth, MN 1980 North Dakota Northern Michigan 5-2 Providence, RI 1979 Minnesota North Dakota 4-3 Detroit, MI 1978 Boston Univ Boston College 5-3 Providence, RI 1977 Wisconsin Michigan 6-5 (OT) Detroit, MI 1976 Minnesota Michigan Tech 6-4 Denver, CO 1975 Michigan Tech Minnesota 6-1 St. Louis, MO 1974 Minnesota Michigan Tech 4-2 Boston, MA 1973 Wisconsin Denver 4-2 Boston, MA 1972 Boston Univ Cornell 4-0 Boston, MA 1971 Boston Univ Minnesota 4-2 Syracuse, NY 1970 Cornell Clarkson 6-4 Lake Placid, NY 1969 Denver Cornell 4-3 Colo. Springs, CO 1968 Denver North Dakota 4-0 Duluth, MN 1967 Cornell Boston Univ 4-1 Syracuse, NY 1966 Michigan State Clarkson 6-1 Minneapolis, MN 1965 Michigan Tech Boston College 8-2 Providence, RI 1964 Michigan Denver 6-3 Denver, CO 1963 North Dakota Denver 6-5 Chestnut Hill, MA 1962 Michigan Tech Clarkson 7-1 Utica, NY 1961 Denver St. Lawrence 12-2 Denver, CO 1960 Denver Michigan Tech 5-3 Boston, MA 1959 North Dakota Michigan State 4-3 (OT) Troy, NY 1958 Denver North Dakota 6-2 Minneapolis, MN 1957 Colorado College Michigan 13-6 Colo. Springs, CO 1956 Michigan Michigan Tech 7-5 Colo. Springs, CO 1955 Michigan Colorado College 5-3 Colo. Springs, CO 1954 Rensselaer Minnesota 5-4 (OT) Colo. Springs, CO 1953 Michigan Minnesota 7-3 Colo. Springs, CO 1952 Michigan Colorado College 4-1 Colo. Springs, CO 1951 Michigan Brown 7-1 Colo. Springs, CO 1950 Colorado College Boston Univ 13-4 Colo. Springs, CO 1949 Boston College Dartmouth 4-3 Colo. Springs, CO 1948 Michigan Dartmouth 8-4 Colo. Springs, CO This website is funded with private funds, and is intended for educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Michigan State University, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), or any other organization. Logos are registered trademarks, and remain the exclusive property of their respective organization. Our thanks to Tim Potter for some of the photos that appear here.

The off-ice officials (formerly called the "minor officials") at Michigan State University assist the referees in the management of men's varsity ice hockey matches. We do not assess penalties, award or disallow goals, or have any authority to influence the outcome of the match. Each school has its own off-ice officials comprised of local residents, but each crew is responsible to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. MSU Off-Ice Officials in front of trophy case for MSU's two Hobey Baker Award winners Kip Miller (1990) and Ryan Miller (2002) (Tony Coble absent from photo) Off-Ice Officials at MSU Rob McCurdy 1998; Crew Chief since 2008 Tom Bodine 1981 Tony Coble 2002 David Corrie 1999 Dr. Jim Constandt 1976 Melinda Dickinson 1985 Tim Fox 2007 Brian Keeney 2000 Jim Little 2008 Joel Maatman 2003 Gene Murawski 2003 Bob Nelson 2005 Bill Sharp 1981 Gary Snellenberger 2007 Barb Soper 1985 Escort assures referees and visiting team take the ice for warm-up and game as scheduled; secures referees' locker room. Joel Maatman assures the visiting team takes the ice on time. Goal Judge (one behind each goal) turns on goal light when puck enters goal and crosses entirely over goal line. Tom Bodine confirms a goal by turning on the red light. David Corrie (standing behind Tom) serves as Back-Up Timekeeper. Penalty Box Attendant (one for each team) assures penalized players remain in Penalty Box for duration of penalty. Bob Nelson awaits the arrival of a penalized player while Referee Brian Aaron notifies the official scorer. Plus-Minus Official maintains log of which MSU players were on ice when goals were scored, either for or against, thus creating Plus-Minus rating for each Spartan. Barb Soper tracks each Spartan on the ice when a goal is scored by either team. Public Address Announcer makes announcements over arena's public address system related to course of match. Gary Snellenberger announces the starting line-ups for the evening's match. Scorer records goals, assists, penalties, and related statistics; maintains official scoresheet. Crew Chief Rob McCurdy logs every penalty and every goal on the official scoresheet. Timekeeper operates scoreboard clock and horn; posts goals and penalties (a Back-Up Timekeeper maintains back-up game clock in case scoreboard clock fails). Gene Murawski keeps accurate time on the scoreboard as directed by the on-ice officials. Video Replay Official operates video recording equipment; responds to requests by referee to review activity in goal crease. Tony Coble operates a camera located above the goaltender to help the referee verify that the puck fully crossed the goal line. We gather in the lounge before each match to discuss the evening's assignments. We meet with the on-ice officials one hour before face-off to confirm procedures and review NCAA rule changes or points of emphasis from the CCHA. A view from the catwalk above Munn Ice Arena MSU scores another goal Fox Sports Net/Detroit rinkside reporter Shireen Saski interviews Spartan alumnus and current NHL Atlanta Thrasher Jim Slater during a time-out at Munn Ice Arena. Senior Night honors those playing their last home game of the regular season. 2007 National Champions Coached by Rick Comley 1986 National Champions Coached by Ron Mason 1966 National Champions Coached by Amo Bessone