Christmas came early for Keaton Lockwood.
The St. Albert official was picked to represent the North Zone Referee Association as a linesman at the 38th annual Mac’s Midget AAA World Invitational Tournament, Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 in Calgary.
“It’s amazing. Not a lot of guys get selected so it feels really good to be chosen,” Lockwood said of the biggest assignment of his career. “There will be a lot of guys watching, a lot of higher level officials and supervisors, so it’s an opportunity to show them what I can do and move on to the next level from this.”
Lockwood, 19, is excited to embrace the Mac’s experience.
“Everybody says it’s really great. They tell me it’s fast hockey. The social experience is a really great part of it too,” said the Level II official. “I hear a lot of stories from officials and other referees so I have an idea what to expect. I think maybe I will be doing three games at least.”
The highest level of hockey for Lockwood pushing lines is senior A and junior B and as a referee it’s bantam AAA.
“I like doing both,” said the linesman for the 2015 John Reid Memorial Tournament final.
The Bellerose Composite High School graduate works three to four games per week while taking design studies at MacEwan University.
“This is my first year in what we call the senior program. They will send me out travelling and doing junior B and senior A in places like Tofield or Killam. Usually you’re going with a referee,” he said. “Having the opportunity to do junior B and senior A has been a pretty cool experience so far this year.”
The next step for Lockwood after the Mac’s is to obtain his Level III certification for future high-profile assignments.
“Guys will do this tournament and then if they’re lucky enough they work CIS hockey, university men’s, and then they will make their way through the AJ (Alberta Junior Hockey League) as well and then eventually the western league.”
Lockwood joined the officiating ranks at the age of 12.
“I loved playing hockey so it was an opportunity to stay in the game in case I decided to leave,” said the noted golfer. “It was also an opportunity to see the game from another side and understand the game of hockey from a different point of view and still stay in the game because I left a bit early. I got a lot of concussions as a hockey player.”
Lockwood quickly developed thick skin in the face of adversity.
“There has always been a rough patch every once in a while because it’s tough getting a lot of criticism. You’re criticized pretty much by everyone. It just depends how you take it,” he said. “There have been times where it gets a little tough because it’s not easy getting yelled at all the time but I think for the most part everyone goes through that and it’s understandable because people are emotional and in every game in sports they get mad at the officials, the authority figures.”
Lockwood believes he is a better person since becoming a star in stripes.
“It’s made me stronger and more confident, not so much with dealing with people but interacting with people, especially socially. It’s more-so finding a middle ground and talking to them, not talking down to them but being able to come to their level and just kind of calmly converse with them.”
