DULUTH - Like most Northland kids,Tyler Madill started playing hockey at a young age.  He's just not playing this year.

"I played up until last year," he said.  "I took this year off to try reffing, and I'm going back and I'm playing next year too."

Tyler took this season off to help recouperate from a broken leg he suffered last year.  Knowing her son's love of hockey and looking for a way to keep him involved with the game,Tyler's mother Kara Hargrove suggested he try his hand at being an official.

"It kinda popped into my head last year when he broke his leg," said Hargrove.  "It was really hard to see him go through that.  I came to him and presented it as an opportunity for him so that he could still stay with the sport."

After an all–day seminar and an online test, Tyler who's an eigth grader at woodland middle school, became a certified USA Hockey official at just 13 years old.  All he needed was his first assignment.

"I think i had to wait a couple weeks to get my first game," he said.  "After that it was pretty constant."

Since then, Tyler's worked more than 30 games, and so far everyone he's worked with has been helpful and understanding.

"As long as I tell them I'm a first year official, they'll go kinda easy on me if I miss stuff," he says.  "Which everybody does."

For a first year official, Tyler's earns high marks from his colleagues.

"He shows a lot of maturity and he's willing to do the job," said Bill Zuck, an official with the Minnesota Hockey Officials Association.  "He understands the concept of fairness and providing a safe environment for the kids."
"The older refs that he has officiated with are just amazing and really helpful and really kind," said Hargrove.  "The parents that have had their kids play in a game that he has reffed said he did a great job."

Next year Tyler plans to return to playing, but won't be putting away his striped shirt.

"Obviously I won't get as many games in because I'll have practices," he says.  "But I'll try to get as many games as I can in.

Because the more games he gets in, the more he can stay in the game.