Grandfather/grandson duo bring familial connection to hockey refereeing

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

Allan Dickson and his grandson, Max Staines, made the news recently when they hit the ice together as a pair of referees at local hockey games. Now that they have a few games under their belts, this dynamic duo is preparing to adjudicate Wingham’s impending U11 Rep Silver Stick tournament on Nov. 29. Ahead of the big event, The Citizen decided to check in with both Dickson and Staines to hear about how they’ve been enjoying the unique intergenerational experience thus far.

 

Dickson entered the fast-paced world of refereeing in 1971, whereas Staines first followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in 2023. At first, it seemed as though the two had missed the chance to police the ice together. Dickson, who had a stroke in 2019, thought he had given up refereeing for good. The stroke had damaged his occipital lobe, which meant that both his balance and vision were affected. Then, in 2020, he had a quadruple bypass, which further decreased the likelihood that he would return to the ice.

 

Then, in 2023, Staines earned his certification as a Level 1 referee, and the two began traveling to games together. Dickson began to relish his role as a mentor, and was able to teach Staines the same fundamentals that he had been taught all those years ago. At the end of that first season, Dickson found his health to be greatly improved, and he decided to secretly re-qualify as a referee, eventually surprising his 14-year-old grandson with the news they would be working together.

 

Staines has been loving his grandfather’s surprise. “My most favourite thing is spending time with him on the ice. The first game that I refereed with my grandpa was pretty awesome... after his stroke and everything, I never thought I’d be able to do it with him. I was too young before, to start reffing. But I did, and I am, and it’s awesome! We got to spend the most time together that I’ve ever spent with him, and it was just really fun,” he declared.

 

The veteran referee agrees with his grandson’s assessment of the situation. “He seems to be enjoying it,” Dickson observed. So far, they’ve refereed five games together. “It was really good. I think it was sort of exhausting for him... they weren’t all in a row, or anything - just putting your equipment on, taking it off, putting it on, taking it off, and so on and so forth.”

 

While Dickson has a lot of technical advice for Staines, he feels the most important thing about being a referee is learning to see the game in a new light while remaining calm and collected. “Stay neutral, and do the best job,” he advises. “Particular teams believe that sometimes they’re being picked on, even though they’re not. A lot of teams, or parents, see things through the eyes of their players, or their sons, or their grandsons that are on the ice. A lot of times they don’t see the other team.”

 

Dickson’s dedication to remaining impartial extends beyond the local arena into his personal opinions. “You’re not supposed to have a favourite team when you go on the ice... most referees, if you ask them, don’t really have a favourite NHL team - they just like to see a good game, played well.”

 

It takes years of experience to master the art of neutrality and it seems that Staines is well on his way there, thanks in no small part to the guidance of his grandfather. The 10th-Grader believes in fair calls and knows he can’t let the opinions of others influence the way he observes the game. “You call all the shots, and you have to be the boss about it,” Staines asserted. “There can be repercussions, and everything. You could get yelled at, or, if someone doesn’t agree with you, you could get into a huge argument. Stuff like that.”

 

A great referee may not pledge allegiance to any particular team, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a few favourite players. Dickson has always admired the gentlemanly gameplay of Dave Keon. “He was a nice, clean player. He hardly ever got a penalty. He just played the game.” In terms of current players, he’s a fan of Connor McDavid. Staines’ all-time favourite player is either Wayne Gretzky or Darryl Sittler, who happens to hail from Staines’ hometown of St. Jacobs. In terms of current players, he likes Auston Matthews.

 

Dickson’s lifelong love of hockey began during the golden age of rural arenas. “I grew up in a very small community, in Belmore. We were quite fortunate to have an arena there. And there still is an arena there. But small communities since then have lost all their arenas. And it’s quite unfortunate that they have. Growing up, I played in arenas in Wroxeter, Gorrie, Fordwich, Bluevale... and a lot of those places now don’t have an arena. The building is actually torn down. It takes a lot of money to maintain an arena.” There may be fewer arenas around these days, but it hasn’t stopped young people nationwide from making the trek to their nearest arena to play hockey together.

 

While Staines spends a lot of his ice time with Dickson absorbing wisdom, there is one aspect of being a referee in which he’s able to send a little know-how his grandfather’s way.

 

“They have an iPad for the game sheet now, instead of a piece of paper, so he’s had to switch to that, with my help,” he explained.

 

For both these referees, hockey is more than just a game - it’s an important part of a healthy community. Dickson feels that it teaches young people valuable lessons they can use later in life. “It’s a building block for kids,” he explained. “They learn to win, they learn to lose, they learn to accept who they may be playing with. When they get out and older and everything else, they may not always win at everything. It’s just very good for them to learn to work with different people as a team.”

 

For Staines, the social element of organized hockey is essential. “It gets people to know each other and make more friends, and to experience things with other people, instead of staying away from everybody.” He’s especially excited to be a part of the upcoming Silver Stick Tournament in Wingham. “I’ve done one tournament in the past, and it’s much more fun than a single game, so I’m looking forward to it!” he exclaimed.

 

If you want to see this dynamic duo in action, head on over to the U11 Rep Silver Stick Tournament at the North Huron Wescast Community Complex on Nov. 29.