(WHL.ca)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Making the calls

P.A.’s Schrader gets ‘chills’ when he saw Clarke break WHL officiating gender barrier

Sep 25, 2021 | 2:04 PM

During Friday’s batch of WHL preseason games, Weyburn’s Alex Clarke made history.

She became the first woman to ever officiate a Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League game. She was a linesperson at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw for an exhibition game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Regina Pats.

When Prince Albert’s Barry Schrader heard the news, he was through the moon.

Schrader has worked with Clarke and other female referees and line officials across the province as a mentor, both in his capacities as female development coordinator for Hockey Saskatchewan, and as referee-in-chief for the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League.

“My heart just went out for her. I got chills all over my body. The first ever woman in the world doing WHL hockey. At that level, it’s unheard of but this girl has worked so hard to get where she is,” Schrader said. “She’s a mother of one and she’s always exercising. She’s always jogging. Physical fitness is at the biggest standard, she stands 6-foot-tall, and does an excellent job. I’m just so happy for her.”

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Schrader said he’s been working and following Clarke’s progress over the last nine years, back when she first started in the SaskFirst youth program. Not only is Clarke making history by breaking the gender barrier at the WHL level, but she also returned from doing the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary.

“She has just excelled at every level,” Schrader said. “It’s such a glorious day for females to do WHL games.”

Clarke herself had a goal set of making the WHL.

“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the WHL as a linesperson,” Clarke said in a statement released by the WHL. “I have been working towards this for several years now and I believe my development has reached the level required to perform in the WHL. I’m looking forward to the challenges and growth the WHL will bring to my officiating journey, and I’m excited about the potential for other female officials to enjoy similar opportunities in high-level male hockey.”

Schrader added he hopes to see referee Cianna Lieffers out of Saskatoon do something similar and get to call games at the WHL level as well.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW