Interview with Rookie Linesman Rick Janco

STOCKTON, Ca   – Always a watchful eye on the puck and the players, not to mention the blue line and the red line, an official is an essential part of the game.   Sometimes they are good guys, sometimes the bad guys; it all depends upon which team the fans are rooting for.   Officials are jeered, sneered and ridiculed by some fans. But

on a serious note, an official can make or break a game.   A bad call could drastically change the momentum of the game.   Officials don’t always get a thank you from the fans, but the players appreciate them for all they contribute to a game.
 
ECHL officials are skilled, dedicated and must be extremely physically fit. If you think about it, they must be able to skate continuously, each period. They do not get to sit down and rest for a minute or two during a period. They are on their feet always skating forward and backwards, while trying to keep an eye on the puck, the players and ensuring they aren’t in the crossfire.
 
  I spent some time with first year linesman Rick Janco who wears #46.   Janco lives in Oakville, a suburb of Toronto, Canada.   He, like many other young Canadian men, played hockey most of his childhood up to and including NCAA.   He was team captain while at Plattsburgh State.   He then moved on to graduate school in Buffalo, completing a Masters degree in childhood education. While working on and off as a substitute teacher for first grade children, he also earned extra money officiating for Junior and Youth Hockey leagues. Then, earlier this year, through a series of conversations with colleagues and other officials Janco’s skills were noted, leading to his full time officiating job with the ECHL. “Going from Junior Hockey to Pro was a great opportunity and gave me a sense of reward.   I’d ultimately like to go on to AHL and then the NHL of course.”
 
Janco, 24 years old and single, tells me “It’s still early in my career and life; now is the best time to do this. I can settle down later.” 
 
While he loved playing the game himself, he now continues to enjoy other aspects of the game he would have missed had he not taken this opportunity.   Janco enjoys the camaraderie he has developed with other officials and players alike. “I like the atmosphere, fans and the excitement. I enjoy the facilities and the travel too” he admits.
 
Janco is assigned to the Fresno area.   This means that he could be on the road traveling 3 – 4 days per week, usually in the Pacific Division matchups.   This includes Arizona, California and Las Vegas teams.   This means that most of the travel is by car, so he and other assigned officials will generally ride together.   A typical day means arrival to the arena about two hours prior to game time.   This provides time to check out the game notes, meet the coaches, and get familiar with the team line-ups.   Then Janco says each official has his own warm-up routine.   He prefers to run and do stretches.   He will generally grab a bite to eat after the game, and then it’s on to the next arena or back to the hotel.
 
Since this is his first year, Janco hasn’t had too many exciting game opportunities, but one of his first highlights was officiating opening night in Stockton California in October 2008.   The Stockton Arena has had the largest fan attendance for three years straight and this night was no different.   He said the arena was very loud and electrifying. The fan excitement, along with the quick pace of the game, really makes his job exciting.  
 
Each city has its own qualities.   Of the few he’d been to so far, he experienced his first visit to Las Vegas and its adjacent casino.   The new arena in Ontario is nice too, and of course the fans in Stockton were the largest and loudest he’d heard.
 
For a hockey team, the highlight of the game is winning.   So then, as an official, there isn’t a winner or looser, what is the highlight of their game?   “As an official we are supervised and our games are monitored for performance. We obviously enjoy seeing great goals, great fights, and great hits; at the same time, we can’t be missing calls or making wrong calls.   We thrive off calling a great game, skating well and being in the right spots. As funny as that may sound, when I make a great call, that’s like my goal.”
 
On some occasions the fans might be loud and judgmental.   How does an official keep his cool and focus?   Janco tells me “You have to be sure that you are calling the game like no one else is watching. Get the right call then and there.   We have to block out the fans. If that gets to you, then you might be in the wrong business.”
 
Since Janco played college hockey, he has many friends that stayed in the game. He still keeps in touch with many of them, but it doesn’t seem to get in the way. “It seems like every city I go to, there’s at least one player that I know.   On the ice, their mind-set is on the game, mine is on officiating.   We are all doing a job out there and we stay professional.”
 
For anyone that is trying to get into officiating ECHL.   Janco stressed that they must “know how to skate forwards and backwards of course” and must “know the rule book inside and out, as well as the concepts and how to apply them.” It all sounds obvious, but there’s a lot riding on the eyes and knowledge of these officials.   To them it’s not just a job, but it’s a source of pride.   Perfection is the goal.
 
It may be his first season as an official, but it appears to this novice, Rick Janco knows the hockey rule book inside and out.   Who knows, maybe in the future, Rick Janco will have his name among those in the NHL Hall of Fame as one of the great officials of his time.
 
Article Written By: Shellie Lima
shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com
 
 
Photographs by: Jack Lima
jack.lima@prohockeynews.com