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NHL Officials Trade Whistles for Stuffed Animals Written by Samuel Dearth Life in the NHL as a referee is quite a challenge. The physical play, fast pace, and necessity to make accurate, snap judgments over a two hour period can leave even the most talented officials emotionally drained after a game. 
Photo/BLUE for Kids
(L-R) Tony Sericolo, Leah Frohnerath, Eric Furlatt, Tiffany O'Connell, Tim Peel, and Mark Wegner.
On December 8th, NHL Officials Eric Furlatt, Tim Peel, and Tony Sericolo met away from the hockey rink for a challenge of a different sort. For this event, the crew traded in their whistles and skates for Build-A-Bear Workshop® stuffed animals, autographed hockey pucks, and bobble head dolls. Furlatt, Peel, and Sericolo visited St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa to lift spirits of pediatric patients coping with cancer or blood disorders. The event, sponsored by the National Hockey League Officials Association (NHLOA), was organized by BLUE for Kids, Inc. The crew arranged Curly Teddy Bears, Playful Puppies, and Tabby Kitties neatly in two Radio Flyer red wagons. A third wagon was filled with a variety of outfits for the children to dress their new furry friends along with autographed hockey pucks and bobble head dolls of Tampa Bay Lightning fan favorite, Brad Richards. Each official grabbed the handle of a wagon, then joined Leah Frohnerath, Senior Child Life Specialist, and Tiffany O'Connell, Child Life Technician for the room to room journey. Referee Eric Furlatt, a model of poise and confidence on the ice, acknowledged being nervous and somewhat uncertain before entering the first room. Eric’s community service activities are generally limited to sports-related non-profits near his home in Montreal, Quebec. Working with healthy kids and speaking passionately about hockey comes very easy to him. 
Photo/BLUE for Kids
Eric Furlatt (right) enjoys 'Santa' role. Young girl chooses the Playful Puppy.
“A stay in the hospital for young boys and girls is quite unsettling”, said Furlatt. “With hospital staff in and out of the room, little say in how their day is organized, and treatment leaving them physically and mentally exhausted, I wondered how we would be received by the kids.” Uncertainty vanished as fast as a Linesman drops the hockey puck during a face off. Furlatt drew immediate smiles from children and parents upon entering rooms with stuffed animals in his arms. The Santa-style role suited Eric well as he invited the kids to choose a puppy, kitten, or teddy bear. For some the choice was easy and made quickly. For others, the decision came only after careful consultation with mom or dad. Rule 35(d) of the NHL Official Rule Book states “It shall be the duty of the Referees to see to it that all players are properly dressed.” Officials Tim Peel and Tony Sericolo exercised great care to ensure the rule was properly applied at the event. Kids chose outfits to dress their stuffed animals - cheerleader, pajama tops/bottoms, doctor, pirate, French chef, hula dancer, or karate uniform. Peel and Sericolo took all the time necessary to dress each furry friend according to the desires of the children. 
Photo/BLUE for Kids
Tim Peel (left) inspired by visit with teen. Shadreana chooses Tabby Kitty with cheerleader outfit.
Tim Peel, an 8-year veteran referee who lives in St. Louis, has experience spending time with children battling cancer. Tim volunteers with Friends of Kids with Cancer – a non-profit organization devoted to enriching the daily lives of children undergoing treatment for cancer and blood-related diseases in the St. Louis area. “I was moved by a 16-year old brave girl named Shadreana”, said Peel when asked if any one child from the day stood out in his mind. “You could tell upon entering the room that she was obviously not feeling well. Her strong spirit and willingness to make us feel at ease and forget that she was extremely sick affected me deeply. As soon as I left her room, a wave of emotion came over me and I had to take a few moments to compose myself before moving on.” Like Shadreana, 11-year old Patrick Pedraja stands out with maturity that belies his age. Despite having leukemia and three days of chemotherapy a week, Pat is set to go Driving for Donors - a tour of 25 cities that Pat will drive to with his family seeking new bone marrow donors who can provide life-saving matches. The inspiration for Pat's Driving for Donors campaign came from a young woman named Greek Gray who lost her battle with leukemia earlier in 2006. Greek's story touched Pat's heart and motivated him to do something to help others who struggle to find a matching bone marrow donor. 
Photo/BLUE for Kids
Tony Sericolo (second from right) invites Pat Pedraja and family to Tampa Bay Lightning game after meeting in hospital.
As the two hour event came to a close, Tony Sericolo invited Patrick to be his guest at the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game the following evening. Sericolo, an 8-year veteran NHL Linesman living in Loudonville, NY, is a regular contributor to the BLUE for Kids BLUE Crew Tickets program where kids receive complimentary game tickets and participate in a pre-game meet and greet with officials. “I’m proud of our guys”, said Sericolo. “Eric, Tim, and I were blessed to represent the entire NHLOA today. The experience was incredibly rewarding and we look forward to future hospital visits and ticket opportunities with BLUE for Kids.” “The children that Tony, Eric, and Tim saw today at the hospital really lit up”, remarked Leah Frohnerath. “They loved making the choices of what stuffed animal they were to get and how to dress them. BLUE for Kids offers a great opportunity for each child to be a child first…not just a patient.”
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This event was sponsored by the National Hockey League Officials Association. For more about NHL Officials, visit: www.NHLOfficials.com |
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