BC HOCKEY AWARDS: OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR - NICHOLAS ALBINATI
By MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
Nicholas Albinati was anxiously awaiting what he hoped would be an exciting and rewarding phone call.
The on-ice official had worked part of this season’s Western Hockey League Ed Chynoweth Cup and was hoping his year would continue to the Memorial Cup, the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League.
His phone rang, but it was for another reason, as the resident of Lower Mainland was announced as BC Hockey’s Official of the Year. This award is given to an official that exemplifies dedication and support for the BC Hockey Officiating Program, BC Hockey and Hockey Canada Rules and Regulations. He or she also contributes to hockey in ways other than the on-ice requirements and combines leadership and ability both on and off the ice.
“It kind of came out of nowhere. It's been a stressful and anxious time right now because I worked Game 1 of the WHL finals and was just waiting to see what happens in that series and waiting to see if I get the phone call to go to the Memorial Cup,” said the 31-year-old, who first began officiating in Prince George at age 12.
“When I got this phone call, I was like, ‘Oh, this a little bit surprising.’ But it was awesome. This is so cool to win this award and to look back on the people who won it before me – it’s so cool to follow in the footsteps, especially the people from Prince George, who've also won it. It's awesome to be added to the list and definitely an honour.”
He later received the call to work the 2026 Memorial Cup in Kelowna, making it twice as nice. It adds to his list of accomplishments which include the 2016 TELUS Cup; 2018 RBC Cup; 2019 National Aboriginal Championship (NAHC); and 2025 U SPORTS University Cup.
It doesn’t stop there as his international assignments representing Hockey Canada at the IIHF level included the 2018 World U17 Challenge; 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup; 2024 Div II Men’s World Championship; 2025 Men’s U18 World Championship in Texas; and the 2026 World Junior Championship in Minnesota.
An 11-year veteran of the WHL, Albinati worked his third Ed Chynoweth Cup this season and is currently in his fifth year as a linesperson in the American Hockey League, working games in Abbotsford.
He has also transitioned from serving as an on-ice mentor at the Junior A level to become a member of the BC Hockey High-Performance supervisory staff, while continuing to take every opportunity to mentor and develop young local officials.
“This award means the world to me. I told my wife, Kristen, who was sitting beside me and got to call my parents and they were so proud of me, so that was cool,” he said.
“I've been pretty fortunate. This is my third WHL finals and then two years ago I got to go to Serbia for the World Men's Division 2A Championship. That was my first time going to Europe and that was an eye-opener for sure, being on a plane for 12 hours.
“I always thought my first time in Europe would be going to Italy to visit and see where my grandparents came from (which he will do this year as he and Kristen take a cruise around Italy). But that trip was truly an amazing experience. I took so many pictures and that was a really awesome start to my IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) journey,” he recalled of his Serbian adventure.
“Then last year, I got the phone call two weeks or 10 days out from the World U18s. Somebody dropped out late and I was selected as a replacement, so I got to go to Texas last year. I did well there, which led me to getting the call in October to go to the World Juniors in Minnesota, which was pretty cool.
“My wife came down and my parents and brothers came down so I was able to experience that with all them,” said Albinati, whose family means the world to him. “That’s something I will never forget.”
As for his future endeavours, he will continue to work the AHL and hopes to progress up the IIHF ranks.
“My goal is just to kind of keep on advancing in the IIHF and try to get a little bit better every year, work a better tournament and do what I can to try to get myself a spot to go to the 2030 Olympics in France. That's sort of the plan, but we'll see what happens,” he said.
The National Hockey League isn’t an expectation for him at 31.
“You know, if they ever called, I would take the phone call, but at this stage, I don't think I'm in their plans and, honestly, that is perfectly fine. That's okay,” he said. “I really enjoy working the American Hockey League and I also really enjoy getting to travel to work international events in countries that I may never get to.”