It’s not just the more than 200 players across the Elite League preparing for the new season – our team of around 50 game officials are also hard at work getting ready for 2025/26.
While most teams are getting in their pre-season with a handful of fixtures spread out over several weeks, referee Chris Wells had a whirlwind few days last week. On Thursday night, he made his Champions Hockey League debut as a referee in Belfast as the Giants hosted KalPa Kuopio. Less than 24 hours later he was in Coventry for their clash with MK Lightning, before heading to Sheffield on Saturday to take charge of the Steelers’ meeting with the Devils.
“It was a crazy week, but a good one!” Wells admitted. “It actually started the weekend before at our training camp with fitness testing and preparation. You come out of that focussed and ready, which was important for me heading into such a busy week.”
Making his CHL debut alongside Andy Dalton, Ryan Fraley and Nathan Carmichael was a career highlight:
“Three games in three days is always tough, but that first one was huge for me. It was my first in the CHL as a referee, which was a big milestone. The pace and skill level are so high, and with so many eyes on you across Europe there’s extra pressure – but I loved it and came off the ice buzzing.
“The biggest thing I took from it was how quickly you have to make decisions. Everything happens that bit faster, so there’s no time to second guess yourself. You have to trust your instincts, your teammates, and be decisive under pressure. Having that experience early is massive for building confidence and sharpness for the season.”
After Belfast, it was straight onto a plane for Coventry, then Sheffield the following evening. For Wells, pre-season is just as important for officials as it is for players:
“Pre-season is a great opportunity to fine-tune things, work with new officials, and ultimately we’re doing the same as the teams out there: we want to make sure that we’re conditioned properly, staying focussed, and pushing ourselves to be ready for when the seasons starts,” he continued.
“You want to hone in on those little details that you were concentrating on at the end of last season, or new things you’ve picked up with new officials. All of the officials are pushing themselves and each other, even if you work with someone who takes a tumble or two! But it’s been a great start to what’s going to be an exciting year.”
Photo: William Cherry/Presseye
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