ROSWELL, Ga. – Garrett Rank doesn’t think too much into his pregame routine.
The 30-year-old native of Ontario, Canada, recently completed his second full season as a National Hockey League referee, traveling across North America – everywhere from western Canada to south Florida – as he strives to maintain equity on the ice.
Rank called 73 regular season and three playoff games in the 2017-18 season, and he prefers to keep preparations simple.
A mid-day meeting, where he and his fellow officials (each game is staffed by two referees and two linesmen) discuss past history between the two teams and any other pertinent factors.
Lunch with the crew. Afternoon nap. Arrive at the rink about 90 minutes before puck drop, “run around, play games and get ready.”
Next week, though, Rank will have to adopt a new type of pregame ritual. He successfully advanced through last Monday’s 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifier, posting rounds of 71-71 at a demanding Ansley GC (Settindown) course to match Michael Hebert’s 2-under medalist total, with Roberto Castro earning the site’s third and final spot.
Hebert and Castro both compete full-time on the Web.com Tour. Rank’s career is structured a bit differently, but he considers himself lucky in that his stable of connections from the golf and hockey worlds have allowed him to play some venerable venues.
During the 2017-18 NHL season, he played four rounds of golf, but he made them count. Among them: Medalist GC in south Florida, when officiating a Florida Panthers game. Concession GC near Tampa, when working a Tampa Bay Lightning game. Whisper Rock GC in Scottsdale, when refereeing the Arizona Coyotes.
“It’s hard to travel with the clubs,” said Rank, who played Medalist alongside TOUR pro Dominic Bozzelli. “I rent a set, or I play out of someone else’s bag whenever I can. I’m really lucky that golf and hockey have opened a lot of doors, help make a lot of connections.”
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
