IHL 2 Kalamazoo Wings

USA Hockey honors Mike Martin

June 16, 2005 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Kalamazoo, MI- The Kalamazoo Wings of the United Hockey League announce that USA Hockey has honored Kalamazoo native, Mike Martin, as their 2005 Chet Stewart Award.

The award, which was presented by USA Hockey and the Officiating Education Program, is given annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the program during many year of service to the hockey community.

For the past two seasons, Martin has worked with the off-ice officials during K-Wings games in evaluating the referees and linesmen during all K-Wings home games.

With over 30 years of officiating experience, Mike Martin has dedicated much of his time to youth hockey, seminars and mentoring younger officials.

Martin served as the Referee-in-Chief of the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Hockey Referees Association for 15 years (1984-99). Spending time as both a Level 3 and Level 4 official, the Battle Creek, Mich., native retired from officiating in 2003.

As one of the first to become involved in the Evaluation Program, Martin worked diligently to develop countless officials in the Kalamazoo area. Among his alumni are Central Collegiate Hockey Association referees Tony Molina and Vicki Renfer as well as long-time USA Hockey official and President of KOHA, Glen Gevaart.

Cited by his officials for his generosity, friendship and encouragement, Martin was more than a supervisor to countless young hopefuls. He often welcomed visiting college officials into his home and taught important on-ice and off-ice lessons to those he trained.

Martin and his wife of 26 years, Mary, live in Kalamazoo and have four children, Shaun, Michael, Lisa and Briget.

The Chet Stewart Award was established in 2000 to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the USA Hockey Officiating Education Program during many years of service to the hockey community as an official and volunteer.

Martin received the award during the USA Hockey Annual Congress President Awards Banquet this past Saturday in Colorado Springs.

Past winners of the prestigious Chet Stewart Award are Ken Sheeran (2000), Robert Lilla (2001), John DePudyt (2002), Roy Chin (2003), and Bill Reynolds (2004). The award is named in honor of the late Chet Stewart, one of the founders of the Officiating Education Program and longtime USA Hockey volunteer.

For more information about Mike Martin receiving the 2005 Chet Stewart Award, please contact Mike Modugno, Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster at (269) 349-9772, extension 220.

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