Linesman Tyson Baker will be making his NHL debut tonight in Ottawa as the Senators take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Baker will work his first game alongside linesman Scott Driscoll and referees Eric Furlatt and Pierre Lambert.
“I’m grateful I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from so many amazing officials all the way from minor hockey to the AHL,” said Baker. “My first supervisors out of Stratford & St Mary’s minor hockey, my mentor in the OHL & AHL, Kevin Hastings, along with Dustin McCrank, who I learned a lot from. Also Steve Miller, current NHL linesman from Stratford, has had the biggest impact on my officiating career, and a role model for me to look up to.”
Baker will take the ice wearing #88.
From the NHLOA:
Baker began officiating Spring hockey at the age of 16 as a part time job and decided to seriously pursue it at age 21. Joining the Stratford Referees association in 2016, Baker didn’t take long ascending to higher levels, earning Stratford’s most promising official award along the way.
He joined the OHA the next year, working Junior hockey, and was quickly recruited to join the OHL staff as a linesman for the 2017-2018 season.The Summer of 2017 was a busy one for Tyson. He attended Don Koharski’s officiating camp in Hamilton, was hired by the OHL, and was invited by the NHL to their Amateur Officials Combine in Buffalo, NY.
In November of 2017, Tyson made his AHL debut and also attended the CHL/NHL officiating development camp in Toronto. After working the CHL Top Prospects game in January of 2018 in Guelph, ON, and being awarded the OHA Top Lineman Prospect award in June, Tyson got the call from the NHL this past Summer and was offered a Minor League Linesman contract.
Tyson is currently living in Thorndale, ON and will split his time this season between the AHL and NHL.
Baker worked a handful of games in the preseason, but tonight will be his first NHL game that counts.
Congratulations to Tyson Baker and all the best on his NHL career!
