USHL develops officials too, sending 600 to higher levels

The USHL says it has advanced more than 600 officials to professional, collegiate and international hockey, and 22 former USHL on-ice officials have earned NHL contracts. For a league known for player development, that official count shows a second pipeline running in parallel, one that pushes referees and linesmen into bigger arenas, tighter scrutiny and faster decision-making.

At the center of that system are Referee-in-Chief Andrew Bruggman and Director of Officials John Grandt, who oversee a current officiating roster built for the 2025-26 season. The USHL’s model is not limited to teaching rule enforcement in a classroom. It tests officials in the same kind of speed and contact that define junior hockey, then sends the best performers into college, pro and international assignments.

USA Hockey’s Advanced Officiating Development Program is the other half of that ladder. Led by the federation’s Officiating Education Department, the program identifies and trains officials aiming for the highest levels of the sport. Candidates must be USA Hockey-registered officials between 18 and 35, and the program places them across junior leagues and high-level women’s hockey. Some can live in league-sponsored housing during the season, a practical boost that lets them work demanding games within driving distance and absorb more live experience. USA Hockey says the program’s mission is to coach, train and develop the best amateur officials, then send them back as mentors at the grassroots level.

The development path has become more structured since USA Hockey reorganized officiating education in 2022 into youth officiating development, advanced officiating development and officiating education. Scott Zelkin leads the advanced side, and the emphasis now includes more opportunities in elite women’s hockey, including international hockey and the PWHL. That broader reach matters in a sport still trying to build enough high-quality officials to keep pace with the game’s growth.

The USHL has already produced visible results. In 2025, the league highlighted former referee Chris Rooney as the first American-born NHL referee to work 1,500 NHL games. The league also used its showcase events to stress-test officials at high stakes: 2025 Clark Cup Final officials were selected based on season-long performance and feedback from supervisors and team coaches, while Craig Ford and Josh Rosenbaum brought ECHL, AHL and NCHC experience into the series. Officials named for the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game carried NCAA Division I, ECHL, AHL and USHL backgrounds.

For fans and coaches, that means USHL games are not only auditions for players like the ones chasing NCAA or pro futures. They are also proving grounds for the people tasked with keeping the game fair, fast and consistent. In a North American hockey system short on trained officials, the USHL’s role as a feeder for referees and linesmen is no side note. It is part of the league’s identity.