For the female referees, the road to Milano has been a long and winding one ever since they embarked on the journey right after the previous Olympic tournament in 2022. By February 2025, a year before the Olympics, there were 30 officials on the list.
 
Those thirty became 24, and they, in turn, became 22 in May — 12 referees and ten linespersons. 
 
The IIHF recently invited all 22 game officials to a pre-Olympic preparation camp in Milan so that the best female officials in the world are ready to go when the first puck drops in the opening game for what will surely be one of the highlights of their careers.

The officials spent two and a half days in Milan as they covered rule interpretations, standards, communication, and the logistical setup related to how they will work with the situation room when a video review is needed. They also spent time on the ice at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, which will host most of the women’s Olympic games. The semifinals, the bronze medal game, and the final will be played at the Santaguilia Arena.
 
Having the officials gather in Milan in the leadup to the Olympic tournament was an important step in their preparation. It allowed them to become familiar with their surroundings and gave us an opportunity to cover key topics with the intent of driving consistency.
 
It was also an opportunity for the entire officiating team to get together and spend time together, as they hadn’t met in person since the women’s world championships in Czechia last April.
 
The IIHF also assigned fourteen – seven referees and seven linespersons – out of the twenty-two Olympic Officials to the men’s under-20 Ice Hockey World Championship Division 1B, which is being played at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, the main venue for the women’s Olympic tournament.

In other words, all game officials in that tournament will also be going to the Olympics, giving them an excellent opportunity to work together before the big event. In addition, the officiating coaches assigned to the under-20 Ice Hockey World Championship Division 1B – Stacey Livingston and Vladimir Sindler – are going to the Olympics.

Unlike the male Olympic officials who come from both the NHL and IIHF member nations, the women’s group has worked together a fair amount over the last few years, especially in the last 12–18 months. Also, calling men’s games is nothing new to the experienced crew; they all work men’s games in their home countries as well.
 
The referees and linespersons from the international hockey world and the NHL also held a preparation meeting earlier this season in Buffalo, New York, under the guidance of IIHF Officiating Manager Danny Kurmann.