by – David McPherson
On January 17, King Rebellion will be in Oakville to take on the Oakville Blades – Marlowe Schott will make OHA history as part of an all women’s officiating crew that also includes: Lacey Senuk, Hillary Brennan, and Laura Gutauskas
Cambridge, ON – the first time Marlowe Schott wore the stripes, it was just to make some extra spending money. What she did not know is that fate guided this decision.
“My Opa [grandfather], Merrill Schott, officiated junior hockey more than 50 years ago,” says the OHA referee. “He passed away when I was really young, so I don’t know a lot about his on-ice career, but he kept a collection of pucks from all the rinks where he officiated over the years that my parents passed along to me … some of those teams are still around, so it’s always a treat when I get to skate a game and pick up a puck from one of those same teams.”
Growing up in Elmira, Ont., Schott played minor hockey with the Woolwich Wild in this rural town just north of Waterloo that is also the hometown of NHL referee Garett Rank.
“My officiating experience mirrors that of any other small town referee,” she says. “I started at 15 just as a flexible part time job and to stay involved in the game.”
When Schott started officiating more than a decade ago, female officials were a minority, but thanks to trailblazers like her, more and more women are now becoming referees. The 27-year-old continues to make history and inspire the next generation of officials. In 2022, for a pre-season game between the Mississauga Steelheads and the Guelph Storm, she was paired with Hillary Brennan — making the first time in OHL history two women worked on the same officiating team; this week, in a game between the King Rebellion and the Oakville Blades, Schott joins Brennan again — along with Lacey Senuk and Laura Gutauskas — as part of the first all-women’s officiating crew in OHA history.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it’s a testament to the OHA’s and Elmira’s investment in developmental programs for officials. I’m a beneficiary of that mentorship and those programs … officiating is now considered a pathway open to young girls as an incredibly rewarding way to stay involved in the game of hockey.”
Lifelong Learning On and Off the Ice
After graduating from high school, Schott attended the University of Guelph where she obtained a bachelor of science degree in microbiology; to help pay for some of the post-secondary education costs — and to keep learning and to advance her referee career — Schott officiated throughout her university years.
When not officiating an OHA or a women’s OUA game, Schott continues her higher education; currently, she is in the process of completing her Masters in Science in Pathobiology; her research is focused on antimicrobial resistance, one of the top global public health and development threats, and investigating infection control by studying emerging zoonotic pathogens (diseases, like rabies, transmitted from animals to humans) at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre.
On the ice, Schott also never stops learning. What adds to the fun and excitement of being an official is that no game is the same: “Being part of a good hockey game is just the best!” What she loves most about officiating is skating alongside such incredible talent every time she steps on the ice. “I get a front row seat to watch these players develop over the years,” she adds.
Before Schott hangs up to prepare to head to the rink for that night’s on-ice assignment, she offers some advice and shares the philosophy that guides her approach to officiating.
“They say the mark of a good referee is that you can get in and get out without being noticed,” she concludes. “You can only control what you can control, so I just try to go on the ice each night with a humble attitude and work hard. If I do that, the rest usually falls into place.”
About the Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) was founded on November 27, 1890, and is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior hockey in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is a Member Partner of the Ontario Hockey Federation which is one of thirteen Provincial and Regional Branches of Hockey Canada.
It is comprised of three Junior hockey leagues and two Senior hockey leagues: Junior A – Ontario Junior Hockey League; Junior B – Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League; Junior C – Provincial Junior Hockey League, Senior – Allan Cup Hockey (AAA) and Ontario Elite Hockey League (AA). For the 2023-24 season, these five leagues encompass 125 teams.
The objectives of the OHA are to foster and encourage the sport of amateur hockey, to conduct competition in the various categories established, to determine teams for entry into the inter-branch competitions that may be provided by Hockey Canada, and to provide for the affiliation of other hockey organizations.
The OHA provides administrative resources, coordinates programs, services and events for hockey participants and provides support to various Development Programs for coaches, officials, trainers and players, Safety and Risk Management Issues and offers resources for Harassment and Abuse education.
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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:
Chris McCleary
General Manager, Operations & Marketing
Ontario Hockey Association