Over the last 55 years, one name has become synonymous with officiating in Alberta – George McCorry.
Donning the black and white for the first time at 12 years old, George achieved the top level of refereeing certification, Level VI, by the time he was 30. He took on national and international assignments for Hockey Canada, including three national university championship appearances and a role in the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France. Two years later, George refereed 10 games in the NHL.
While the list of on-ice accomplishments is lengthy, his continued work developing officials may be more meaningful to the long-term success of the game. For over 25 years, George has been an instructor for the National Referee Certification Program, and he’s been supervising officials in Alberta for 38 years. He has served as referee-in-chief with Hockey Alberta and as chair of the Hockey Alberta Referees’ Council. Since 1999, George has been the vice-president and supervisor of officials for the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
On and off the ice, George McCorry has been keeping the game in check and teaching the next generation of officials how to do the same.