It’s taken longer than expected, but Jay Sharrers is finally going into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame (BCHHOF).
The Hope product was announced as an inductee in 2020, but COVID restrictions prevented the BCHHOF from holding induction ceremonies the last two years. On July 22, Sharrers will be in Penticton to be honoured for his long career as a National Hockey League official.
Sharrers worked 1,600 NHL regular season games plus 200 playoff matches, including seven Stanley Cup finals.
According to a BCHHOF Facebook post, he was just 22 years old when he debuted Oct. 6, 1990 in a game between the Quebec Nordiques and the Boston Bruins. He became the first black official in the NHL, although he wasn’t thinking about it that night.
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“Guy LaFleur was playing for Quebec (against Boston) and he was my idol so without question at the time I was just trying to be an elite official,” he told the BCHHOF. “It wasn’t until much later the significance of that game really took hold.”
The colour of his skin was an issue at times during his career, mostly when he worked American Hockey League and Western Hockey League games. But Sharrers, who was born in Jamaica and raised in Hope, said he never let it bother him.
“I was used to an environment where people didn’t want to see me on the ice regardless because of the jersey I was wearing, so what they were yelling didn’t really matter anyway,” he said. “Besides, there was a pretty good self confidence built for my brother (Matthew) and me by our parents. A confidence and understanding of people’s intolerance.”
Sharrers quietly called it a career following the 2015-16 season when hip replacement surgery sent him to the sideline, but he has maintained a connection to the game, running the Jay Sharrers Officiating school in Superior, CO.
“It’s about kids getting into the game and a love for all sports,” he said. “I really cherish the mentorship role.”
The 2022 BC Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony is being held July 22 at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) in Penticton. Tickets are available at the SOEC box office or online at valleyfirsttix.com.