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From District B to the Big Leagues
October 10, 2025
District hockey, to Central, to High Performance. Shawn Oliver has worked his way through the HEO Officiating Program from his first game on the ice with District B at the Novice C level to being named to the NHL Officiating roster for the 2025-2026 season.
Shawn first applied to officiate in HEO with Bytown District when he was 14 years old. While he passed the skating tryout, he didn’t put the same effort into the rule knowledge exam and wasn’t accepted. “It was a good learning experience right off the start on professionalism for officiating”, says Shawn. He spent that season jealous of his brother who was officiating games and came into the next year “with a totally different attitude” and was accepted into District B’s officiating program.
During his first season of officiating, Shawn was still playing competitive hockey with the Ottawa West Golden Knights. In November of that year, he was hit from behind while playing and suffered a broken pelvis that left him off the ice for three months. After consulting with his doctor, it was recommended that he no longer play competitive hockey. Instead of dwelling on this news, Shawn shifted his focus to pursuing his officiating career. With his schedule freed up, he was able to dedicate most of his evenings and weekends to getting on the ice and developing as an official.
Shawn spent the next few seasons moving up the ranks from District B to the Central Officiating Program (AAA/AA hockey). During his third season officiating, the Referee in Chief of the CCHL (Junior A) was watching his son play in a minor hockey game that Shawn happened to be officiating. “He saw me out on the ice skating hard, and he liked what he saw”, recalls Shawn. That good showing allowed Shawn to make the move up to the HEO High Performance Officiating Program the next season. “You’ve got to skate hard every game you do”, says Shawn, “you never know who could be watching”.
In his first year of the High Performance program, Shawn was able to develop his skills at the Junior C level. The following season, he was skating at the Junior B level when the then HEO Referee in Chief, Steve Sleigh, called to let him know that he would be working a Junior A game and an NHL Supervisor would be there to watch him. “I just went out there and skated hard and did what I had been doing for the last four years, and it turned out to be a great experience”, says Shawn about the nerve-wracking game.
Shawn impressed the Supervisor enough to be hired into the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during his fifth season of officiating. Shawn was having a good showing for his first season in the OHL when Covid canceled the remainder of the season in March 2020.
Due to the travel restrictions that the pandemic caused, the Ottawa Senator’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Belleville Senators temporarily relocated to Ottawa for the 2020-2021 season. “I got the opportunity because Belleville was playing in Ottawa, they needed local linesmen and I was someone they called on, so I got hired in the American Hockey League that way. I don’t know if I would have had the opportunity if that wasn’t the case, so it was kind of a blessing for me that that happened”.
Shawn continued to work in the AHL and OHL for the coming seasons. When the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) formed in 2024, Shawn was hired to the officiating team as a linesperson. While juggling a demanding travel and game schedule between these three leagues, International and National events, Shawn continued to give back to the HEO Officiating Program, still skating games in the High Performance Program.
Shawn emphasizes the importance of reps and learning from supervisors when it comes to developing as an official. “Every game that you’re out there, you’ve got to learn something. You can pick one thing, even if it’s one play at the blueline, one icing that you haven’t seen before. Every single game, something you’ll see if different than the previous game and you’ve got to learn from those”.
There has been no lack of “reps” for Shawn in his 10-year journey to the NHL officiating roster. At just 25 years of age, his officiating resume includes many leagues and events of note:
Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
American Hockey League (AHL)
East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)
Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
2025 University Cup
2025 IIHF U20 World Championship Division 1 Group A
2024 IIHF World Championship Division 1B
2023 Centennial Cup
2022 IIHF World Juniors (August tournament)
2022 Hockey Canada National High Performance Selection Camp
2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
2022 World Junior A Challenge
HEO is extremely proud of the development Shawn has shown in his own abilities but also in the way that he has given back to the HEO Officiating Program, having continued to skate in our High Performance program while balancing the many professional leagues and events he works.
"Shawn is a true testament to the HEO development model. He grew as an official at every stage that we have to offer and used his learnings to get to the next level each time. One doesn't succeed with a development model on its own however, his drive, eagerness, and effort is really what set him apart. On top of that, his passion for officiating continues to show as he comes back and helps develop the next round of officials.” – Mike Ostrom, AAA league RIC
From stepping onto the ice the very first time as an official with District B, Shawn has shown a commitment to learning and improving each game. He has climbed the ranks of the HEO Officiating Program and now finds himself living out a childhood dream of skating in the NHL.
Congratulations Shawn!