BY HOLLY DODGE
hances are, even if you are not a diehard sports fan, you have probably witnessed a crowd slam a referee for a call or even blame a loss on them (think of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver). For impassioned sports lovers, it’s easy to get heated and play the blame game, especially when they don’t know the countless hours, dedicated discipline, and steadfast qualities required to be a referee. North Mankato native Andrew Bruggeman knows firsthand the joys and labors of being a professional hockey referee. Beginning as a five-year-old hockey forward with the Mankato Area Hockey Association to refereeing the gold medal game at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Bruggeman has trotted the globe as a humble, dedicated, and awarded official. Bruggeman began his hockey career as a tot with his twin brother Tyler in Mankato. At 13, Bruggeman began pivoting his energy towards officiating games to get more ice time and earn a little money. “I learned I was pretty decent at it,” Bruggeman laughs. And thank goodness he did. He kept climbing the ranks. He participated in summer development camps with USA Hockey to focus on officiating. After graduating from Mankato West in 2009, he connected with the Advanced Officiating Development Program when he was 19 years old; the same year he hung up his competitive blades and laserfocused his energy on the new challenges of officiating. He began working with various junior hockey leagues until he was 26 when he moved up to officiate junior hockey leagues. Soon after, he was assigned to referee international assignments. In 2019, he traveled to Vancouver to work the World Junior Championships —the game was Canada vs. Russia. As most know or can easily assume, Canadians take their hockey
