BUFFALO — Growing up in upstate New York, officiating was just a job for brothers James and Adam Tobias. But it didn’t take long for it to become a career.
James, 27, has been an NHL linesman for five years and has officiated at the professional level for seven. Adam, 25, has been officiating in the American Hockey League since 2017. Both have also officiated in the NCAA, and both turned to the NHL Exposure Combine to help further their careers.
The combine, which is held annually at Lecom Harborcenter in Buffalo, is a four-day camp that allows participants to put their officiating abilities to the test. From there, the NHL’s officiating department selects those they have a high interest in, places them in various minor professional leagues, and monitors their progress over the next 2-3 years.
James and Adam participated for the first time in 2015, when they had some help from fellow Buffalo native Chris Ciamaga, a former AHL and NHL referee. James was then hired by the AHL for the following season, returned to the combine in 2017, and earned an NHL contract following the camp.
This year marked his third time serving as a mentor to the group, which included Adam, who attended for the second time.
“I love coming here and helping the new people,” James said. “It’s been weird because some of the people that I started helping out as a mentor originally, are now working with me. I think that’s kind of the best part, where it feels like I actually kind of helped them along their way.”
Learning from his older brother is nothing new for Adam, who has called James over the years to chat about various aspects of the job, including how to talk to players.
“Just being able to have somebody come talk to and how he’s just introduced me to everybody, I think it makes it just so much easier,” Adam said. “You feel like you belong so much more.”
Their path began as teenagers working youth hockey games in their hometown, upon a suggestion from their mother.
“She wanted us to get a job, and told us this would be a good way to earn some money,” said James, who officiated his first game as a 12-year-old. “It kind of wasn’t so fun the first few years, and then you kind of started getting the hang of it and you started to like it a lot more. I think it just kind of grows on you, the more you do it. “
The brothers both played ice hockey throughout high school and although a playing career was not in the cards, the experience of being an official has been equally rewarding.
“It’s cliché, but you feel the energy of the game,” Adam said. “So, like, OK, the fans aren’t cheering for you, you don’t get to celebrate when you score, but you make a call, the fans go crazy. … It’s actually pretty intoxicating. It’s awesome.”
Both brothers could have pursued careers in the field of science. James graduated from Canisius College with a degree in biology, a minor in neuroscience and psychology, and took the MCAT, a required test to attend most medical schools.
“I kind of had an inkling that this might be a possibility,” James said. “I kind of wanted to take a whole year off and pursue it 100 percent, and ended up being very lucky, like right out of college, right out of undergrad, got hired and kind of went off from there.”
Adam majored in biology.
“Once I saw him make it, it was almost like, it’s kind of what I want to do,” he said. “… At the end of the day, I’d much rather be at the ice rink than sitting in a lab or something like that. It just wasn’t for me.”
James officiated his first NHL game Nov. 22, 2017, in a game between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs in Sunrise, Florida, and the Tobias family flew down for his debut.
“It was awesome,” Adam said. “I don’t think the reality hits you that this is an actual possibility, that you’re going to be on the ice for an NHL game until you kind of see somebody you know go out and do it. Makes you realize these are levels that I can obtain.”
And his older brother is looking forward to that potentially happening.
“I loved working games with him when we were doing college hockey and youth stuff,” James said. “And we did a couple of American [Hockey] League games together when I was a 40/40 official. And I mean obviously, it would be awesome if we got to do an NHL game together, so hopefully, one day in the future that might happen.”
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