Photo credit: Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF
Story by Emma Connelly
BCHL linesperson Scott Allan recently completed his first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournament, making his debut in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. at the 2026 World Junior Championships.
During the tournament, Allan officiated four games, including three preliminary-round contests and one quarterfinal matchup. We caught up with him to discuss his journey.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking at first, especially after the first game,” said Allan. “It was exciting that all those countries that were participating this year had their full country’s support behind them.”
After only two years with the BCHL, Allan has reached a milestone that few achieve so early into their officiating careers. When asked what this opportunity meant to him, he shared his appreciation.
“I was honoured to be selected to officiate those games because I know those are big moments for the players,” he said. “It’s everyone’s dream to go play for your country at those kinds of tournaments, especially the World Juniors, so it was an honour to be able to go out there and officiate and make it a fair game.”
Allan is now a veteran of multiple officiating combines, including ones hosted by the BCHL and the National Hockey League (NHL). In addition to his role in the BCHL, he also officiates in the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL, giving him plenty of experience at the professional level.
When asked about his early-career success, Allan gives credit to the BCHL and specifically Vice President of Hockey Operations and Head of the Officiating Department, Brad Lazarowich.
“He’s helped me in too many ways to count,” said Allan. “It’s kind of cliche in this world, but repetition [is key] and the BCHL is just a place that I was able to get a lot of repetition last year and at the start of this year. It makes everything easier going to the higher levels.”
“You just have to be able to own the opportunity and put everything you have towards it. The BCHL, in my eyes, is the path to go.”
