FRANKLIN — The MIAA and its Hockey Committee held their first gathering of the fall season seeking to correct and prevent some of the unanticipated fiascos that have started to arise in recent history, most notably within the game itself.
“My big takeaway, and it really goes back to the spring, is that when the tournament was over in March, the Ice Hockey Committee probably evaluated (things),” said MIAA Associate Director Richard Pearson. “At the spring meeting, we decided to have a format with a video replay proposal, as well as a new overtime proposal. It’s typically what happens, that we turn the format in on May 1, roughly, every year. Then we evaluate what happened in the previous tournament.”
Three key points were the main questions: How can we avoid an instance such as the Div. 1 final in 2024, when a make-or-break call can decide a champion without further input? Will we see a rise in pay rates for officials, given the recent shortage?
And of course, the never-ending debate as to how the organization should handle its hockey playoff formats.
After being sworn in as the newest Ice Hockey chairman for the upcoming campaign, Arlington Catholic’s Dan Shine took a moment to think as his colleagues debated the new idea of video replay. Under the revised plans, the process would apply to state championships only. This was primarily due to having access to such technology at the landmark, and if the MIAA Hockey Committee has a say, you can bet that we may see it implemented should all go well at the next assembly Oct. 23.
“We’ll make a presentation to (the Tournament Management Committee) in October, and hopefully they’ll agree that it’s needed,” said Shine. “We have the opportunity to use it. It makes a lot of sense for us that we would take advantage of the resources that the Garden offers us, and I think it benefits the kids, our membership, and our constituencies. It’s good for the game. We want to get it right.”
As part of the revised format, officials will be provided full authority deciding whether state championship plays are reviewed at TD Garden.
The issue with referee shortages has become unavoidable since the pandemic, and especially for hockey given the risks involved with officiating the sport. Refs will still earn approximately $100-$120 per contest, as the organization looks toward a stable, yet consistently progressive plan for all sports. Because the proposed plan was made outside of the season cycle, the MIAA and its collected committee officials opted to keep the current pay plan in-place.
“We need quality officials,” Shine said. “And we are working to that end.”
Needham girls hockey coach Allisyn Furano-Foster raised the question about a Super Eight return, for both genders. For now, fans must continue to wait, at least for one more calendar year. The conversation remains tabled for now, but Shine expects the committee to engage in a true conversation in the near future.
“The chairman of the TMC, at one of our previous meetings, told us that (the Super Eight) will come to discussion in the summer of 2025,” Shine said. “So, we have to wait until this year is completed until it’s brought up again.”
