When opportunity knocked, Lacey Senuk answered the door.
“I was asked one night if I was available for the Canada Winter Games and the next day I found out I was going,” said the St. Albert referee. “I’m pretty excited. It’s a cool opportunity. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Senuk, 25, and linesman Dana Argue of Medicine Hat will work the U18 female tournament starting Sunday in Halifax, N.S.
On the female side, officials were nominated by Hockey Alberta’s Referee Council and then selected by Hockey Canada.
“I believe there are seven referees going out there, so there is the possibility I would skate once a day but it’s hard to say how they assign the tournament,” Senuk said.
It’s another high-profile gig for the graduate of the Referee Advanced Technical Training program through the St. Albert Referees Association. In November, she was picked to push lines at the 4 Nations Cup in Newfoundland.
“That was an awesome, awesome tournament. I ended up skating the bronze medal game [Finland edged Sweden 2-1] so that was really neat.”
The third-place playoff was the third game of the tournament for the Grande Cache hockey product.
“It was a great tournament, right from the games to the hospitality of St. John’s. I made a lot of great new friends so that was cool. It was the highlight for the year for sure,” said the former Notre Dame Hounds forward. “The speed of the game was definitely fast. You’ve got some very competitive women competing.”
The 4 Nations Cup was assigned nationally, event though it was an International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournament.
“It was definitely a positive learning experience. It’s the first big tournament that I’ve gone to as far as IIHF stuff goes. You learn everything, from the on-ice stuff to the off-ice stuff. There was stuff to take from it that I can continue to build on and continue to work on,” said Senuk, who made her international debut while working the U22 series between Canada and the United States last summer in Toronto.
The Canada Winter Games is similar to the Olympics as a multi-sport competition and features a cultural component. They occur every four years.
“It’s more of a development assignment so it’s sort of the up and comers. It’s definitely used as a development tool for Hockey Canada.”
It’s still up in the air if Senuk will be selected to work the Esso Cup national midget female championship April 17 to 23 at Servus Credit Union Place.
“I don’t know what’s set in stone for that. I’ve heard rumours it’s a provincial assignment. I’ve heard rumours it’s a national assignment. I heard rumours they were going to fly in a couple of people from out of province. It would definitely be nice to go to it since it’s in St. Albert,” said the equipment inventory project co-ordinator for Flint Energies, an oilfield safety company based in Sherwood Park.
