It’s amazing where hockey can take you.
That’s one of the thoughts Eric Arrigo and Jacob Rozenberg echoed when talking about their journey through the sport, which now includes an invite to the Chipotle All-American Game Jan. 16 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s something I was honestly surprised to get a call about,” Rozenberg said. “It’s a great event, I know some others that have worked it before, so I’m honored.”
While the event is better known for being a showcase of future professional players, it’s also a chance for officials working their way up the ladder.
For both Arrigo and Rozenberg, the goal is to climb the ladder someday to the NHL.
Rozenberg worked his first professional game last season in the AHL as a linesperson between the Milwaukee Admirals and Iowa Wild, and now works a schedule that combines AHL, ECHL, and USHL games.
Arrigo primarily officiates USHL games and is working his way towards the professional game as a referee after switching from linesperson roughly three years ago.
“I spent four years as a linesman, including working some pro games in the SPHL, but made the switch to referee now because I wanted the new challenge,” Arrigo said. “I always felt like my skating was a strength, and with a lot of three-many systems at the lower levels, it was a great fit for me to challenge myself and make that change.”
Officiating is something Arrigo and Rozenberg really fell in love with as teenagers.
Rozenberg started officiating roller hockey games in California as 15-year-old. It snowballed into working games on ice and eventually enrolling in the USA Hockey Advanced Officiating Development Program.
Arrigo first started calling games as a 12-year-old and said it’s something he was instantly hooked on, especially since it provided another opportunity to get more time on the ice on a weekly basis.
“It’s one of those things, where if you love being on the ice, and you have a sense of justice, it’s the perfect thing, right?” Arrigo said. “From there, you kind of really see how far it can take you and all the other places it can take you.”
For Arrigo, that journey has also included his business, Hockey Ref Shop. The company started in 2017 when Arrigo had the idea for a reversible official’s jersey, one side with the linesperson stripe and one without, so officials didn’t have to carry various jerseys when switching assignments.
The idea grew from a product into a full business, where Hockey Ref Shop now specializes in providing equipment and starter kits for newer officials, essentially a one-stop shop for the guys and girls in stripes.
“It kind of just took off and became this thing,” Arrigo said. “I was a player too and I noticed how the players always got new gear, always upgraded, and the officials always kind of used the same thing. So, it kind of came from that idea, outfitting the officials and having options for them.”
For Arrigo, his original business idea, a reversible jersey, is fitting of his career where he went from linesperson to referee.
It’s also a good reminder about the nature of what he and Rozenberg are chasing — officials have to be flexible and willing to adapt on the journey and always focus on doing their best to make the right call.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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