Laurier Grads Soar is a multi-part series that returns for it's fourth installment during the 2019-20 season. The segment features former Wilfrid Laurier University athletes and student-leaders in the Athletics and Recreation Department, and the success they have enjoyed since leaving Laurier. Written by award-winning journalist David Grossman, different features will be released throughout the year that will emphasize the role Athletics and Recreation played in helping them achieve success.Scott Driscoll: NHL OfficialFor Scott Driscoll, there have been exhilarating moments in his life. Some date back to when, at age 12, he embarked on a career that involved officiating hockey games.
That was 40 years ago, with the past 28 – in a dream job, for many, of wearing the black and white stripes and enforcing the on-ice rules of the National Hockey League.
To officiate at the NHL level is something that requires a combination of rule knowledge, good skating and a distinctive personality that also has to be an effective way to deal with people's emotions and dispositions.
Perseverance and determination have come a long way for the pride and joy of Seaforth, a quintessential Ontario small town that Driscoll called home for the first time.
Back then, a young Driscoll found time to play baseball in the warmer weather, but hockey ruled in the winter months. Living a block away from the town arena was a bonus. Very important, too, was his focus on a sound education.
An honours academic student at Seaforth District High, Driscoll, at one time, thought about becoming a chiropractor, a veterinarian and even a teacher. He even tinkered with the idea of joining friends for post-secondary studies and gravitating down the highway to the University of Western Ontario in London.
But all that quickly changed, and he maintains for the better, after a visit to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.
“At Laurier, from the minute that I set foot on campus, I knew this was home,” he recalled. “Just the atmosphere, the small campus, the relationship with people. I was at ease and knew this was the place for me.”
Driscoll would earn his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, make the Dean's List and be picked, in 1991, as winner of the Laurier Academic Achievement award.
In sport, it was all about hockey and, a stay-at-home defenseman, Driscoll, having played at the Provincial Junior hockey level, used that experience and knowledge to help Laurier teammates win an Ontario University Athletics Association (OUAA) championship in the 1989/90 season.
“There were special times at Laurier – and those days I will always cherish,” said Driscoll who, at one time, thought about combining playing hockey and officiating.
He was scouted by Vancouver and invited to the Canucks training camp in 1990. But when he didn't get a contract, the focus was on making the pros another way – as an official.
In his younger years, Driscoll remembers when there was a need for game officials and “never gave it a thought that you can get paid to do something you like”.
Now, four decades after that first officiating job, Driscoll has hit the big challenges with expertise. For him, the accomplishments have been impressive: close to 2,000 games, now being part of an elite select group of top officials, three trips to Stanley Cup finals, the Winter Classic involving Detroit and Toronto, and an All-star game. The list goes on.
“Time can go very fast when you're having fun,” said Driscoll. “I look back at my time at Laurier because it gave me everything – a great education, friends for life, a chance to play hockey and my wife is a former Laurier basketball player.”
Driscoll isn't through with hockey just yet.
“It's a cycle of life, one door closes and another open, and I'm looking at doing lots of things,” he said. “I've put some feelers out to coach (hockey) at the university or Junior ranks. Maybe, look at ways to supervise younger officials.”
And then, there's the special part about Driscoll that many people don't know.
He's fascinated by war Veterans, is a huge World War Two history buff and a fanatic for books, movies and shows on the topic. A contributing factor could be his uncle, George Miller, who was with the Royal Canadian Engineers.
It was at a special NHL game ceremony in 2015, that Driscoll received a gift he said he would cherish the rest of his life. It was an authentic Canadian army helmet that was worn by a soldier on D-Day.
Retiring from his success in officiating hockey games, Driscoll now is turning his focus on becoming a leader in other ways, a champion in the community and an educator by conducting tours to see historic sites in France, such as Juno Beach.
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David Grossman is a multi award-winning communicator and storyteller with a distinguished career in Broadcasting, Journalism and Public Relations in Sport and Government Relations. In 2018, he was the recipient of Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Media Member of Distinction. 2016-17 FeaturesSteve Griggs - Chief Executive Officer and President, Tampa Bay LightningSophie Kotsopoulos - Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, National Hockey LeagueMike McKenna - Former Director, Telecom, Media and Technology Investment BankingNicole Lee - Director of Integrated Marketing, National Hockey LeagueMike Bartlett - Executive Director, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment FoundationRebecca Watts - Manager, 2017 World Junior Hockey ChampionshipHugh Lawson - Director of Business Development, Staples Promotional ProductsCheryl Pounder - Former Canadian National Women's Hockey Team MemberJohn Morris - 2010 Olympic Men's Curling Gold MedalistBill Burke - Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Niagara Ice Dogs2017-18 FeaturesTania Pedron - Manager of Administration and Operations, Maple Leafs Sport and EntertainmentWayne Kemick - BMO Wealth AdvisorDenise Burke - President, Niagara Ice DogsKevin McDonald - Vice President of Football Operations and Player Safety, CFLDr. Megan Yaraskavitch - NeurologistAndrew Agro - Director of Corporate Sponsorship and Business Development, New York JetsMarcia Powers-Dunlop - Senior Manager of Professional Support Services, Toronto District School BoardJoe Vernon - Lawyer, Miller CanfieldEmily Rudow - Founder, Oneiric HockeyTodd Cooney - Vice President and Broker, CBRE LimitedJennifer Elliott - Sports Information Officer, uOttawa Gee-GeesRohan Thompson - Social Worker and Professor, Conestoga CollegeDr. Fiona Aiston - Family DoctorJeremy Hedges - Founder and President, InksmithSadie Anderson - FirefighterAndrea Elliott - Sports Information Specialist, Ryerson RamsAlyssa Lagonia - Professional Soccer Player2018-19 FeaturesAshley Stephenson - Teacher and member of Canada's national women's baseball programJ.R. Edwards - General Manager/Country Director, Carlsberg USAGinger Whitney - Vice President, Whitney and Company Realty LimitedSandy Nixon - Loopstra Nixon law firmChristina Polano - LawyerDonnie Ruiz - CFL alum, artist, personal trainer, and award-winning body builderJahmeeks Beckford - Support Worker, Carizon Family and Community ServicesMelanie Witzell - Founder and Agency Director, Mad Hatter TechnologyEric Calder - Owner and President, Skills Plus HockeyRyan MacDonald - Strength and Conditioning Coach, Volleyball Canada National Beach Team2019-20 FeaturesChrissy McEwan - Account Executive, Detroit PistonsIan Noble - LawyerTamika Marks-Grant - Marketing & Branding, Canadian Olympic CommitteeDean Boles - Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technical Officer, Swim OntarioAndrew Quattrin: Professional Rugby Player, Toronto Arrows; Honors Degree Student
