COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that referees Logan Gruhl (Richmond, Va.) and Jack Young (Chicago, Ill.) will be joined by linesmen Michael Ifkovits (Bartlett, Ill.) and Davids Rozitis (Elka Park, N.Y.) for the 2023 BioSteel All-American Game, which will be staged Jan. 16 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast live on NHL Network.
The BioSteel All-American Game features the top American players eligible for June’s NHL Draft.
“These showcase events feature USA Hockey’s up-and-coming talent for not just players, but our officials as well,” said Matt Leaf, director of officiating education for USA Hockey. “These four officials represent the success of our officiating development program, and they have worked hard to earn this opportunity.”
Gruhl has been an official since age 14, and in 2017 he joined the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program. He has previously officiated the 2018 Robertson Cup (NAHL), the 2019 Clark Cup Final (USHL), and most recently the 2022 Kelly Cup Conference Finals (ECHL). The Virginia native is in his third full-time season as an ECHL referee.
Young, a graduate of the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program, began as a linesman during the 2018-19 season before transitioning to a referee for the 2019-20 campaign. He has previously officiated the 2021 NA3HL and NAHL Top Prospect Tournaments, the 2019 and 2021 Fraser Cup Championships (NA3HL), the 2019 and 2021 Robertson Cup Finals (NAHL), the 2022 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, and the 2023 IIHF Under-20 Men’s World Championship Division 1 Group A. Young is in his third season as an AHL referee, and his second as an ECHL referee.
All four officials are graduates of the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program and have experience officiating junior hockey in the NAHL.
NOTES: The 2023 NHL Draft is set for June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators … TRUE is the official equipment partner for the BioSteel All-American Game … For more information on the BioSteel All-American Game click here.