At 14 years old, Matt Williams was just trying to keep up.
Nervous and wide-eyed, the Langford-born teenager laced up his skates to officiate his first Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) game.
Thirteen years later, that same kid is now a professional official.
Williams, 27, and now living in the Comox Valley, has signed a contract to work as a linesman in the American Hockey League (AHL).
It’s a milestone that still feels surreal. Williams first picked up a whistle at 12 and has spent more than a decade between the VIJHL and the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), where he became one of the league’s most trusted officials.
“This year’s been a whirlwind,” Williams told the Goldstream Gazette. “It’s been a good chance to reflect on all the people who’ve pushed me or helped me along the way. They reminded me that they supported me, but I had to do the work. I don’t think I could’ve done all that without them.”
Williams’ path has never been simple.
Diagnosed with leukemia as a child, he says reaching the professional ranks feels like a dream. Even with the AHL contract, he’ll continue to work BCHL games this season while easing into his new role.
His start in officiating came from his grandmother, Judy Nicholson, who suggested refereeing as a way to earn a first paycheque.
“She taught me the rules, explained what was happening in games, and encouraged me to see the sport differently,” Williams said.
What began as a side job quickly became much more.
“It never felt like a job,” he said. “I was skating, learning the game, getting paid a little, and it was fun. At higher levels, I learned from incredible officials like Steve Brown, who helped me get my head straight and guided me through challenges on the ice.”
The BCHL recognized his growth.
In recent seasons, Williams has been assigned to back-to-back league finals, and an invitation to the NHL Officiating Combine in August, a reflection of his steady presence.
Brad Lazarowich, the league’s head of officiating, said Williams stood out among 96 attendees at the NHL combine.
“Matt is one of the top-rated linespersons in our league and was recently scouted at the NHL Officiating Combine, where he made a positive impression with both the NHL and AHL,” he said.
For Williams, cracking the pro ranks feels like validation.
“It’s pro hockey now. I had to fight and claw for that spot, and it just so happened things went right and I had a good combine. It was a reality check, realizing I could actually do this.”
Still, he’s not looking too far ahead.
“The goal is just to show up to the rink and give everything you have,” he said. “What I keep is gone forever, as my dad used to say. I want to work my way to another BCHL final, and I want to get as many pro games as I can. It’s performance-based. You have to earn every assignment.”
When he looks back on that first junior game – a nervous 14-year-old surrounded by players bigger and stronger than him – the feeling is still hard to put into words.
“Unreal is the word,” he said. “It’s unrealistic to look back and think about where I started and where I am now. All the lessons I learned from my grandmother, my parents Graham and Angie, my younger brother Chris, and my partner Morgynn prepared me for this moment.”
That moment will come on Nov. 2, when Williams makes his AHL debut at the Abbotsford Centre as the Abbotsford Canucks host the Henderson Silver Knights. To bring things even more full circle, Nov. 2 also marks Hockey Fights Cancer night in Abbotsford.
