Salmon Arm’s ‘Mr. Hockey’ recognized by BC Hockey for his officiating contributions

It could be said that Roy Sakaki is to hockey in Salmon Arm, what skates or the puck are to the sport in general.

While he is well-known as administrator of Salmon Arm Minor Hockey and has even been recognized nationally for his contributions to the sport by Hockey Canada, his important role with refereeing is possibly not so well-known.

Larry Krause with the BCHockey Officiating program recently sent the Observer a photo of Sakaki with his two teammates, Kaily Jeffery and Scott West, who were also on-ice for the semifinal game of the Tier 2 U13 BCHockey Championships. The championships brought teams from around B.C. to the Shaw Centre from March 20 to 23.

Krause noted that few people the same age as Sakaki “continue to lead both off the ice with their coaching, but also on the ice as Roy is one of B.C.’s eldest active on-ice officials.”

Krause said Sakaki is a fine representative of the BCHockey officiating program and he partners with local, provincial and national officiating programs in support of his local Salmon Arm officials.

“Roy continues to be a tremendous influence on future generations of our officiating members. He is a tireless volunteer who dedicates each season to developing, equipping and mentoring our young men and women in Salmon Arm… We at BCHockey Officiating value and cherish Roy’s tireless contributions both off and on the ice.”

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