NHL official has faith in hockey

To his children, Anthony Sericolo is "Dad." To members of St. Pius X Church in Loudonville, he is another parishioner at Sunday Mass. But to National Hockey League players in two countries, Tony is the man who literally calls the shots.

From October through April, Mr. Sericolo is a linesman for the NHL and might be found in Boston, Buffalo, Toronto, Atlanta, Miami or Detroit.

He spends three or four days each week on the road, but longer trips are unusual because he prefers to remain close to home with his wife, JoAnne, and their kids, who are under five.

Teamwork

When Mr. Sericolo is on the road, JoAnne manages the house and children. He credits her for being the one who keeps things running smoothly.

"Make no mistake about it; we are a team," he said. "Without her, I couldn't do what I am doing."

As a linesman, he is required to officiate at a minimum of 72 games each season. Every six weeks, the league issues a new schedule. That's when he knows where he will be going.

On ice

As long as he can remember, Mr. Sericolo, a native of Watervliet, has been interested in hockey. He played as a student at LaSalle Institute in Troy and American International College in Springfield, Mass., where he was a defenseman and captain of his hockey team.

"I met Harry Ammian [also from the Capital District] when I played hockey in college," Mr. Sericolo recalled. "At the time, he was an official for the American Hockey League and occasionally refereed our games. He and I became friends, and he asked me if I might be interested in becoming a referee."

After graduation, Mr. Sericolo "decided to look into becoming a hockey official. I contacted Harry, and it really all began there."

First steps

Becoming a professional hockey linesman meant learning how to be "one step ahead of the players," he said. (Of the NHL's 83 referees and linesmen, only 14 are Americans. The remainder are Canadians.)

He got involved with the USA Hockey League, a non-profit organization that oversees all the hockey associations in the country. He also honed his skills by attending summer practice camps for both players and new officials.

"I worked for the American Hockey League for seven years, officiating at games as an independent contractor," he said.

In the bigs

That background eventually led to his job with the NHL. He is now in his fifth year as a linesman.

He said that in order to keep up with the speed and skills of the players, officials have to pass rigorous tests of their athletic ability each year.

"We are required to maintain a certain body weight and percentage of body fat," he explained. "We must also pass an ice skating test every year before the season begins."

Fisticuffs

Mr. Sericolo said that violence on the ice is part of the game, and most of the officials and players are used to it.

"Let's face it," he said, "an occasional fight on the ice gets the fans going. Many of them come to see that. But that doesn't mean that the league condones it or expects it.

"These players all know each other. Off the ice, they're friends. They don't take those fights off the ice with them. There's a lot of passion involved in this game among the players. Sometimes, those emotions get the best of them. It happens to everyone.

"Actually, I believe that our players respect the officials in this game more than in other sports. Violence is an occupational hazard in hockey; you try to keep it to a minimum."

To protect himself from injury, Mr. Sericolo always wears a helmet, and elbow and knee pads. Occasionally, he gets hit by a player's stick or the puck.

"One time, I got hit in the head," he said. "I don't remember falling down, but I guess I was knocked out for a few seconds. When I came to, I was lying on the ice. My wife doesn't watch too many of my games from home, but, of course, that had to be the one game that I knew she was watching on TV. Thank goodness, I wasn't hurt seriously.

Family man

At home, Mr. Sericolo enjoys time with his children: Isabella, 5; Anthony, 3; and Sophia, ten months.

"I love this job because it gives me a lot of time at home with my family," he noted. "I have five months off during the season break. Some weeks, I have ten days off between games. Who can ask for anything better than that?

"The travel is hard, but I get compensated with stretches of time off that allow me to be with my family. I consider myself lucky to be involved with the NHL and hope I have a long career with them. It's a great life."

(Anthony Sericolo's advice to parents of young hockey players: "Let your child enjoy the game. Let the kids make mistakes as they learn how to play. The officials are there to make sure the game is played according to the rules. The coaches and officials are there to help and guide your child. First and foremost, the game of hockey should be fun.")

(1/29/04)