The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that Bryan Lewis has been named the CHL's Referee-in-Chief and that Leon Stickle has been named the CHL's Senior Supervisor of Officials.
“We are very excited to have both Bryan and Leon join the CHL staff,” said Jim Wiley, CHL Director of Hockey Operations. “They represent the top minds in officiating at any level and their background and experience add a wealth of credibility and insight to our young officials.”
Lewis, the National Hockey League's (NHL) former Director of Officiating and referee, joins the CHL after spending the last five years with the ECHL as the Director of Officiating and as an officiating supervisor. The current Georgetown, Ontario resident and current elected councilor (fourth term) in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, served as the NHL's Director of Officiating from 1989-2000, overseeing all on-ice officials in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL). His on-ice accolades include working 1,023 NHL regular season games, 30 Stanley Cup playoff games, nine Stanley Cup Finals games and one NHL All-Star Game (1983 in Los Angeles).
“I am very pleased to join the Central Hockey League Officiating Department, along with Leon Stickle and the current Supervisory Staff,” said Lewis. “It will be the intent of all to develop/coach CHL Officials, enabling them to achieve their desired officiating goals. Leon and I are pleased for the past efforts of Wayne Bonney (former CHL Supervisor of Officials) and the guidance he offered to all Officials. We will be the benefactors of his dedication to the Officials and CHL."
Stickle joins the CHL after spending the last eight years in the NHL. The Toronto native worked as a linesman in the NHL for 1,987 regular season games and 200 Stanley Cup playoff games. In addition, Stickle worked six Stanley Cup Finals games and four NHL All-Star Games (1975, 1978, 1983, 1997). He served previously in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) beginning in 1997 and continued in the hockey operations department until joining the NHL as the Supervisor of Officials in 2003.
