TORONTO, ON – One of Canada’s best referees will return to the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship this week at the former Maple Leaf Gardens, as Mark Pearce headlines a group of five referees appointed to the 2024 U CUP.
Regularly a CHL official, Pearce returns to the University Cup having refereed the gold medal game at the 2022 tournament, UQTR’s double-overtime win over the Alberta Golden Bears, and most recently, the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship final, where the United States won gold over Sweden.
He also refereed at the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer.
A former player in the KIJHL, Pearce, now 33, comes to the 2024 University Cup having refereed at the IIHF level, as well as across the Canadian Hockey League and U SPORTS, after beginning his officiating career in 1999 in North Vancouver.
Outside of his officiating, Pearce is a social studies teacher at North Vancouver’s Argyle Secondary School. He holds a bachelor of education degree from UBC, one of the participating teams at the 2024 U CUP.
Josh DeYoung of Hockey Nova Scotia, Danny Emerson of the Ontario Hockey Federation, Jesse Gour of Hockey Quebec, and Troy Murray of Hockey Saskatchewan have also been assigned as referees for the tournament.
Meanwhile, an additional five linespeople, including Nick Albinati, Brian Birkhoff, Nick Arcan, Luke Pye, and Maxime Ferland, have been called to work the event, which features eight games in four days.
“Hockey Canada would like to congratulate all the officials on their selection for the U SPORTS championships,” said Dan Hanoomansingh, manager of officiating with Hockey Canada, in a press release.
“Our university championships provide top-tier amateur competition in a challenging, single-elimination tournament. These officials are at the top of the amateur game and continued to hone their craft throughout the season to be ready for this event.”
Olympic officials take on women’s tournament
While the men take the stage at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, the top women’s teams head to the University of Saskatchewan and Merlis Belsher Place for the 11-game tournament.
The tournament features a consolation bracket and, therefore, a larger officiating crew.
Buoyed by their Olympic experience, Alberta’s Alexandra Clarke, Quebec’s Stéphanie Gagnon, and Saskatchewan’s Cianna Lieffers lead the officiating crew with Clarke and Gagnon as linespeople, while the latter a referee, is joined by Jennifer Berezowski, Hayley Butz, Marie-Éve Couture, Brandy Dewar, Audrey-Anne Girard, Amy Martin, and Shauna Neary.
Lieffers also officiated the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship.
The assignment offers another significant moment for Clarke and Lieffers, particularly amid the 2023-24 season, having been the first two women to officiate WHL games regularly while also earning AHL and PWHL assignments.
Linespeople Ali Beres, Melissa Brunn, Erin Zach, Sophie Thomson, Amy Laroche, and Laura Gutauskas will also join the crew at the U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship.
The U SPORTS men’s and women’s hockey championships hit the ice on Thursday afternoon, streaming live on CBC Sports and CBC Gem, with full coverage on 49 Sports.