This week the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is announcing the recipients of the 2018-19 OHA Awards and we are pleased to get things started by announcing the winners of the 2018-19 OHA Officials Awards.

The OHA Top Referee Prospect is Chris Long, the OHA Top Linesman Prospect is Dean Willmott, and Brad Moore is this year’s recipient of the OHA Officiating Award of Excellence.

TOP REFEREE PROSPECT – Chris Long
Chris Long (Windsor, Ont.) is a 28-year-old linesman who joined the OHA as a linesman in 2011. This past season (2018-19), Long transitioned into refereeing. Since joining the OHA, Long has worked numerous Sutherland Cup (Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League) and Schmalz Cup playoff games. Long recently officiated the GOJHL Conference finals and PJHL Stobbs Division finals during the 2019 postseason. In his day job, Long works as a fabrication co-ordinator for a construction company.

TOP LINESMAN PROSPECT – Dean Willmott
Dean Willmott (Toronto, Ont.) is a 29-year-old referee who has been officiating in the OHA since 2017. Willmott has also officiated in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and the 2018-19 OHL Cup. The former professional hockey player previously suited up for the ECHL’s Brampton Beast and the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Mississippi Riverkings in his pro career. Prior to playing professionally, Willmott played for the Ryerson University Rams hockey team in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA). This is the second time Willmott has been a part of the OHA, as he played his junior hockey with the former Junior A Huntsville Otters. In addition to refereeing, Willmott works for Colliers International as an assistant property manager in Toronto.

OHA OFFICIATING AWARD of EXCELLENCE – Brad Moore
The OHA is pleased to award Brad Moore (Kingston, Ont.) the 2018-19 OHA Officiating Award of Excellence. Moore, 39, has just completed his 21st season as an official in the OHA and he is currently a Level 5 referee. Prior to making calls on the ice, Moore played minor hockey as a goaltender at the AA and AAA levels before switching to forward/defence after his Midget season. Moore began officiating when he was just 14-years-old in the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association then in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. Moore completed Levels 1-3 in his first three years of officiating. Moore attended OHA referee school in Guelph, Ont. in 1998. The 39-year-old official joined the OHA as a linesman when he was 18-years-old and in 2005, he began refereeing in the OHA. Since his officiating career began, Moore has officiated such events as the 2008 National Air Canada Cup tournament (as a linesman), back-to-back OMHA Midget AAA Gold Medal games in 2010 and 2011, OUA playoffs and many PJHL and OJHL semifinals and finals. “I consider myself lucky to have been able to experience the game of hockey from numerous perspectives; playing the game as not only a goalie but also as a forward and defenceman, lining and refereeing minor, junior and university hockey and more recently being able to coach my two children and teach them the joys of the game,” Moore said.

OHA OFFICIATING AWARD of EXCELLENCE – Ryan Park
The OHA is pleased to award Ryan Park (Toronto, Ont.) the 2018-19 OHA Officiating Award of Excellence. Park began officiating more than 19 years ago in the 2000-01 hockey season in the Mississauga Hockey League and has officiated in many Ontario-based development leagues in his career to date. Park is a Toronto Police Constable in his ninth year who has been with the OHA since 2004 and has also officiated in the GTHL (2001-2006) and OHL (2007-2017) where he worked five seasons as a linesman and five as a referee. In 2019, Park officiated Senior AAA (Allan Cup Hockey), Junior A (OJHL) finals, GOJHL (Junior B) finals and in the OUA. He has also officiated such events as the 2018 Dudley-Hewitt Cup in Dryden, Ont. and the World Under-17 World Championship. Off the ice, Park is a Toronto police constable and is part of the Partnerships and Engagement unit as an Asia Pacific liaison officer. In 2018, Park started the first chapter of the NHLPA Goals and Dreams program in Malvern and the Jane and Finch area (Toronto) for students in Grade 5. Over 60 kids had the opportunity to receive hockey equipment and play hockey while meeting Maple Leafs players Ron Hainsey and William Nylander. During the Toronto van attack, Park worked with the Korean consulate and the three victims families who were from Korea. He spent days with the families who were injured in Sunnybrook hospital while getting them the assistance they needed. Park was also the recipient of the John Sneep memorial award in May 2019. The award recognizes the police officer who has shown the most remarkable level of commitment to police-youth programs.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the OHA Officials Awards.

The remaining 2018-19 OHA Awards winners will be announced this week and recipients will formally receive their awards at an OHA Awards Luncheon at the OHA Annual General Meeting held at the Cambridge-Kitchener Holiday Inn Convention Centre in Kitchener Sat. June 15, 2019.

Monday (May 13) - Officials Awards

Tuesday (May 14) - Coach of the Year & Trainer of the Year awards

Wednesday (May 15) - BJ Monro Award

Thursday (May 16) - OHA Top Prospects

Friday (May 17) - Donald Sanderson Memorial Award