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Prince George referee calls chance to officiate Canada-USA Rivalry Series a 'dream come true'

Danika Kroeker set to line games between continent’s best women’s hockey players
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

Imagine sharing the same ice with Canada’s national women’s hockey team in a bout with their cross-border rivals, the United States.

Feeling the intensity of the historic match-up, hearing potential smack-talk around the two benches and, at the same time, ensuring they play fairly and respectfully.

Well, for Danika Kroeker, she’ll get to soak in all of the sights and sounds of that very nature as the Prince George referee has been assigned to help officiate two of the final three games in the 2019-20 Canada-USA Rivalry Series.

“I was just driving around and the Referee in Chief [Sean Raphael] from BC Hockey was calling me and when I answered, he said he had some pretty good news and I wasn’t really sure what he was talking about just because my season had really slowed down this year because I started a full-time job,” she explained in an interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters, who works as a Corrections Officer.

“So when he said they asked me to do the Rivalry Series between Canada and the U.S.A., I smiled quite a bit from ear to ear and when the phone call was over, I almost wanted to cry, like, tears of joy, almost.”

The 21-year-old will act as a lineswoman for the hockey powerhouses Monday night (Feb. 3) in Victoria and Wednesday night (Feb. 5) in Vancouver.

The experience will be additions to Kroeker’s (already) outstanding resume.

In November, she got the chance to line the gold medal game at the 2019 National Women’s Under-18 Championships in Manitoba, which she says was the peak of her career before getting the call to work the Rivalry Series.

“It’s kind of almost a dream come true for me,” said Kroeker, who’s also worked the 2019 Canada Winter Games, Canada West university hockey playoffs, and, more recently, Junior ‘A’ games with the Prince George Spruce Kings.

“I think U-18’s really opened up a door for something like this to come. I think, this opportunity, it’ll open [more] doors for future international assignments is what I’m hoping, so we’ll see how I do when I show up to the games.”

The Prince George Secondary graduate admits, however, there was some doubt on how high she could go as a BC Hockey official.

After having a conversation with Dan Hanoomansingh, who coordinates women’s hockey officials in the province, they set some goals for the future, but never thought an opportunity to line the country’s best female hockey players would come so soon. 

“It absolutely blew my mind [...] Getting this assignment really made me realize where I might be able to go with it,” Kroeker explained. 

“I always kind of doubted whether or not I would make it to an international assignment, so getting this really reassured me that maybe that is possible. I think the end-goal is definitely the IIHF, whether it’s women's worlds or even an Olympic qualifier.”

She credits her step-dad for getting into refereeing, now in her 10th season with BC Hockey, but also taps her stick to the Prince George community along her journey.

Despite a shortage of girls hockey in the city, Kroeker says reffing men’s games has helped develop her own on-ice skills.

“I started out doing all of the boys’ rep and moved up to major midget boys and then, this year, I started lining in the BCHL. So, I think it’s really helped me with my skating, all the confidence and everything, all the hockey that’s in Prince George has helped me get to where I am. [...] I also have to credit my supervisors for my success, but especially Bill Hudyma, my supervisor and mentor throughout my career here in PG. He has taught me so much over the years and still continues to watch my games every now and then and gives me feedback even though he doesn’t supervise anymore. I would not have gotten to where I am with out him."

Much like her local colleagues Grace Barlow, Melissa Brunn and Rachel Robillard, Kroeker says having fun is key to being a referee for a long time.

“The people we meet in town and out of town on our road trips, it just makes it more special, you know, getting to hang out with people you don’t necessarily work all your games with. I have a lot of close friends in Vancouver because I’ve worked games with them down there.”

Canada is down 0-2 in the five-game Rivalry Series with the U.S.

Kroeker leaves for Victoria Monday morning ahead of the 7 p.m. puck-drop at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre and will skate in Rogers Arena two days later.

She says she’s excited to see her family at the Vancouver game, hoping to earn her stripes and ‘make them proud.’