CALGARY, Alta. – The IIHF has announced the officials assigned to the 2017 IIHF World Championship, and included are three Canadian officials. Olivier Gouin (Terrebonne, Que.) and Brett Iverson (Richmond, B.C.) were selected as referees, while Nathan Vanoosten (Surrey, B.C.) was selected as one of 16 linesmen.

Officials working international competitions were announced by the IIHF in October with a longlist of 75 names (six Canadians) in contention for assignment to the 2017 IIHF World Championship hosted in Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany May 5-21.

Although Gouin and Vanoosten are making their debut at the World Championship, they are no strangers to international competition. Gouin officiated at this year’s IIHF U20 Division 1 Group A Championship and Vanoosten was in Montreal and Toronto for the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. Iverson is returning to the tournament, having been a referee in Russia at last year’s worlds.

“Having three officials selected to be a part of the World Championship and six shortlisted in total reflects not only each individual’s commitment to the game, but also the strength of Hockey Canada’s officiating program,” said Todd Anderson, senior manager of officiating at Hockey Canada. “These assignments are important to young officials who are looking at where their career can take them, and they’re a reminder that you can reach elite levels in hockey outside of playing the game.”

Ensuring that play is kept safe and fair for all sides, officials play a key role in the game. The Hockey Canada Officiating Program (HCOP) gives anyone that is interested an opportunity to officiate the sport of hockey. HCOP offers six levels of officiating that provides basic to extensive training for those interested in officiating.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Officiating Program and all of Hockey Canada’s development programs, visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media onFacebook and Twitter.