Chris Schlenker

Schlenker is from Medicine Hat, AB and he played in the WHL for four years with the Regina Pats. After his WHL career was over, he played professional hockey in Germany for a year before returning home to become a police officer. The 31-year-old had been a member of the force for 10 years but the game never truly left him. When a friend asked him to be a linesman for one of his games as a favor, he jumped at the chance. In order to pursue a career in officiating, Schlenker had to balance his police work with the game. He began his officiating career with one year of senior hockey before he was able to return to the WHL. Schlenker worked three years in the WHL where he found support from fellow referee, Devin Klein, a 20-year veteran of the WHL and a police officer like Schlenker. In 2016, Schlenker was awarded the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy as the best referee in the WHL and was named to the officiating crew for the Memorial Cup that same year. As well, he got his feet wet refereeing professionals by working 60 games in the AHL during the 2015-16 season. He was hired under a minor league referee contract with the NHL in the summer of 2016.