The Canadian National Council for Human Rights announced Thursday that it has appointed longtime supervisor of officials Mike Schmitt as the new director of the bureau.
schmidt, who replaces Don Adam, moving to a new position with the NCHC after serving as the conference’s responsible supervisor for the first 10 years of the competition. It has been a part of the NCHC since it started playing in 2013.
Adam has held the same position since 2013.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Mike Schmidt named NCHC Office Director,” NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems said in a statement. Mike has over 30 years of experience as a collegiate and international administrator, as well as a coach in the USA Hockey Program. Mike has built a tremendous relationship with our NCHC head coaches as a friendly and approachable supervisor. He is also a respected voice among the NCHC administrative staff for his organization and responses. verb “.
Before becoming an official NCHC supervisor, Schmidt spent 15 seasons in the old WCHA as an on-ice official, including 13 years as an umpire. During his collegiate managing career, Schmidt has been selected to seven NCAA Frozen Fours, 11 NCAA Regional Championships and 12 WCHA Final Five titles. In addition, Schmidt was selected to referee both the 1998 and 2001 NCAA National Championship games.
“I am looking forward to this new opportunity and am delighted to be the NCHC office manager,” said Schmidt. “I consider it an honor to be selected for this position. My priority will be to enhance communication among officials, coaches, and administrators to enhance and build upon the existing management program. NCHC displays hockey at the highest level in terms of teams, players, and coaches. I want to make sure that the administrative program is on the same level.” .
Schmidt received the NCHC’s Mark Rudolph Officiating Achievement Award in 2021 for his work with the NCHC Officiating Program on and off the ice. During that season, he helped the NCHC get through the COVID-19 pandemic and organized officials for the NCHC “pod” held in Omaha in December 2020.
“Throughout his tenure, Mike was seen as a team builder and strong communicator,” Weems said. “In an increasingly challenging formal environment, where video review and playback require both precision and confidence, Mike’s experience and leadership style will be an asset to NCHC. Our responsible team is passionate about the game, and we strive to provide them with the best possible environment for their learning and performance. I look forward to working With Mike to continue to support and grow the quality and effectiveness of NCHC’s management of umpires, supervisors, member programs, and fans.”
Besides his work in collegiate hockey, Schmidt also has international management experience. He previously officiated the IIHF World Junior Championships in 1992 and 1995, the IIHF Men’s World Championships (1996 and 1998), and the annual Spengler Cup in Switzerland in 1994. In addition, Schmidt spent 12 years as the national coach of USA Hockey under their official program.
Schmidt resides in Minot, ND, with his wife, Beth. They have two sons: Brandon, a current NCHC referee, and Bryce, a former Lake Superior State player.
“On behalf of the NCHC and our member institutions, I want to thank Don Adam for providing vision and leadership over the past decade,” said Weems. “We are building on a solid foundation and will continue to strengthen our management programme.”
Schmidt will officially begin his duties on June 19.