Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the officiating crew that will lace up for the 2009 Subway OHL All-Star Classic on Wednesday February 4, 2009, at 7:00pm in Windsor, ON.
Wearing the orange bands as referees will be Windsor natives Mark Hicks and Scott Hoberg. Hicks has skated 22 seasons in the OHL and is in his 13th as a referee and will be retiring at the conclusion of this season. Hicks skated at the 1997 and 2007 All-Star Games in Barrie and Saginaw respectively. Hoberg is in his 13th OHL season and fifth as a referee.
Working the lines will be Geoff Rutherford of LaSalle, ON, who is in his eighth OHL season, with six year linesman Jared Hoffmeyer from Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Windsor native Sam Sisco will be representing the staff as a Supervisor of Officials. Sisco, an Officiating Manager with the league for 21 seasons, will be retiring at the conclusion of the season. Sisco will also lace the blades on Tuesday February 3, 2009, to officiate the OHL Alumni Game that follows the Skills Competition at 7:00pm at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.
“I am very proud of our entire officiating staff this season and pleased to reward this crew with the assignment of skating in the 2009 Subway OHL All-Star Classic” said OHL Director of Officiating Conrad Hache. “It is great for me to give Mark and Sam the opportunity to participate in this event in their hometown of Windsor since they have both contributed so much to this league throughout their careers” added Hache.
The 2009 Subway OHL All-Star Classic features the best players from the Eastern Conference taking on the top players from the Western Conference. The host team Windsor Spitfires are represented by five players including second-year stars forward Taylor Hall and defenceman Ryan Ellis. They are joined by five London Knights including OHL scoring leader John Tavares. The Eastern Conference team has five Belleville Bulls including the OHL’s top goaltender Mike Murphy, and World Junior Team Canada gold medalist P.K Subban.
The OHL announced earlier this week that former NHL stars Steve Yzerman and Adam Graves will be present as honourary captains for the event. The game on Wednesday can be seen live on Rogers Sportsnet Ontario and online through INSINC, and heard on the radio on the FAN 590 at www.fan590.com. Last season the Eastern Conference All-Stars beat the Western Conference All-Stars 8-7 in a shootout. Steven Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting and Bobby Sanguinetti of the Brampton Battalion were Players of the Game.
For more information about the event and tickets please visit www.ohlallstarclassic.com
