BEN O’QUINN

Ben O’Quinn was a hockey player for 20 years before making the switch to officiating. He grew up in Woodstock Ontario, where his hockey career started. He skated for 7 different teams, including the Ontario Hockey League Sarnia Sting (2007-2010) and ending his semi-pro career in Columbus Georgia with the Cottonmouths in 2017. At the age of 26, Ben attended the NHL exposure combine in Buffalo that following summer. His performance at the combine led him to be invited to work the 2017-18 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a referee, where he skated for almost 3 years before making the switch to linesman the linesman profession in 2019. After several seasons in the American Hockey League and a strong showing at the World Junior Championship in 2020, Ben was welcomed onto the NHL officiating staff in the summer of 2021 when he was offered a full-time NHL linesman contract.