On and off the ice, UCLA student Max Oppenheim is working toward his dream of becoming an NHL referee.

Oppenheim, a second-year economics student, has been an ice hockey referee for eight years, climbing the ranks to become a top-level official. At the NHL Rookie Faceoff in September, Oppenheim worked three games featuring NHL prospects from the Los Angeles Kings, Las Vegas Knights, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Utah Hockey Club.

Oppenheim said the tournament was the best refereeing experience of his life, as the speed and skill of the players was at a high level.

“I probably learned more from that one weekend than I have in the past year because the people that I was working with were all established AHL referees,” he said. “I believe I was one of two referees that were not already working pro hockey.”

Two weeks later, classes started for the second-year economics student, who also plays for the UCLA club hockey team. Across his young career, Oppenheim has also refereed a national final for the under-16 AAA division – also known as Tier 1, the highest level of youth hockey in the United States – and attended referee training camps, he said.

Being a hockey referee has changed the way Oppenheim looks at the sport, he said, adding that refereeing can be much more intense than playing because of high expectations and the constant time on the ice.

“Players screw up 20 times during the game, and nobody bats an eye,” Oppenheim said. “The one time the referee makes a mistake, everybody notices.”

He added that having referee experience impacted the way he plays, and that he has felt inclined to be less reactive or more communicative with the referees.

Alexander Moroz, another player on the UCLA club hockey team, said Oppenheim’s refereeing knowledge helps the team during games.

“He’s our communicator between the team and the refs,” said Moroz, a fourth-year physiological science student. “He’s always jumping up on the bench, whether he’s yelling about something that’s happening on the ice for us or something that he sees that the refs may not be doing right.”

Oppenheim has explained complicated situations to the team and helped in moments of uncertainty, Moroz added.

Max’s father, Dan Oppenheim, said he thinks refereeing helped his son develop his decision-making and communication skills, as the game moves quickly, and clear communication with players and coaches is crucial to managing a game.

Even while watching the sport, Max’s referee brain never fully turns off.

“When I watch an NHL game on TV, even when I’m watching my own team like the Flyers, I don’t really watch a game for enjoyment anymore,” Max said. “Same thing goes with discussions about hockey – … you kind of step out of the emotions of it and try to think about it more rationally.”

Max’s referee journey began when he was 12 and got his USA Hockey certification. While he was the only ice hockey player and referee in his family, there is a legacy of tennis umpiring through his father, Max said.

Dan, who umpired a U.S. Open Cup, also started at a similar age, he said. He added that the most important thing to him is that his son is enjoying what he does, in addition to having skill.

“I’m thrilled to see him do it, but it’s really driven by his own desire more than anything else,” Dan said.

Once Max turned 18, he became eligible to referee teams older than him, opening up new possibilities, Max said.

When he started out refereeing, his focus was learning – a mentor from a USA Hockey program joined him on the ice for a few games, showing him the ropes and teaching him, Max said. He added that he still communicates and works with that mentor on occasion.

Max said he spends significant time on the ice, with Thursday being the only day of the week he does not regularly skate. He spends Tuesdays and Sundays refereeing, and the other four nights of the week he plays or trains with his team, he added.

“Every month I’m probably skating 27 or 28 days, which is a lot, but I pretty much live and breathe hockey, so I’m alright with that,” Max said.

Max added that playing requires bursts of energy in 30-second shifts, while refereeing takes concentration and confidence. He added that training to be a referee means an increased focus on endurance in addition to more soft skills such as professionalism, communication and judgment.

“A lot of what I think about in terms of training would be mental, and it’s keeping your composure in a really high, intense situation,” he added. “It’s being consistent.”

Dan added that finding balance between his focuses of school, playing and refereeing has been a key to success for his son. And in addition to those three, Max said he is also a registered emergency medical technician.

Max said he’s focusing on college for now and working to graduate in three years so he can pursue refereeing full-time. He added that he’s hoping to enjoy his playing time and continue with the refereeing opportunities he’s currently getting before trying to become a professional referee.

Moroz said Max’s teammates plan to support and watch him referee if he makes it to the NHL.

“I’m expecting many free tickets from him, for sure,” Moroz said.