Outgoing NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton has been named the ninth annual recipient of the NCHC’s Mark Rudolph Officiating Achievement Award for the 2021-22 season.
Fenton recently completed his ninth season as the commissioner of the NCHC. He was presented with the award by NCHC director of officiating Don Adam at a ceremony following the NCHC Frozen Faceoff on Saturday, March 19 in Saint Paul, which was attended by NCHC officials, conference staff and Fenton’s family.
Fenton, who took over the conference’s commissioner reigns from Jim Scherr in 2013 prior to the first season of play, is known for his creativity and innovative ideas. The NCHC’s second commissioner, who will leave for the same role with the Summit League in April, has many notable achievements during his tenure with the conference, while working closely with Adam and the NCHC officiating supervisors.
“As a boss, Josh demanded professionalism from those around him, simply because he wanted the NCHC to be the best, in every respect. He worked tirelessly to ensure that every task was achieved, and that every goal was met,” Adam said in a news release. “From an officiating standpoint, Josh provided our officials with everything that he possibly could, such as secondary medical insurance in the case of on-ice injury, the newest equipment and jerseys, apparel, training camps with ice sessions, and most importantly, his support. Josh also brought a wonderful family to the NCHC, and we will not only miss him, but Lindsay and the boys, as well. We all wish Josh the very best with the Summit League.”
Along with being the first and only college hockey conference to offer its officials secondary medical insurance, Fenton also switched the NCHC’s in-venue replay system to DV Sport to allow for better video reviews for officials. He also had the vision to have NCHC referees wear microphones, announcing penalties over the public address system similar to the NHL, and was very supportive of holding multiple officiating camps across the NCHC landscape prior to each season.
Some of Fenton’s other achievements while with the NCHC include being the first conference to implement 3-on-3 overtime, creating the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and moving it to an NHL venue in Xcel Energy Center, and helping to originally establish the conference. Fenton also had the idea to create NCHC.tv (the conference’s digital network) and host a showcase game at Madison Square Garden (the College Hockey Showdown).
Fenton has kept the NCHC operating with multiple surplus positions during his tenure, and negotiated numerous national and regional television partnerships, including with CBS Sports Network. Perhaps his most unique accomplishment, however, was overcoming a global pandemic by implementing and successfully executing the one-of-a-kind NCHC Pod at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb., to start last season.
Fenton, who can be found fishing in Colorado’s streams or Minnesota’s lakes in his limited free time, is also very involved with his family. When Fenton is not at the office or in an NCHC venue, he’s busy coaching one of his three boys’ hockey or baseball teams, or perhaps out golfing with them. In addition, Fenton is the treasurer for the First Tee of the Pikes Peak Region and a board member for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.
Fenton and his wife of 16 years, Lindsay, have resided in Colorado Springs, home to the NCHC office, for nearly nine years. Josh and Lindsay have three boys: Ryan (12), Luke (10), and Drew (6). The family will depart for Sioux Falls, S.D., home to the Summit League, following Fenton’s transition to Summit League commissioner.
“My initial thought was that Josh would think there is someone else much more deserving of this honor than he is,” Lindsay said upon learning of Josh’s honor. “While he will deflect the attention to someone else, I know that he will appreciate the acknowledgment and will be very honored. He truly respects and values the NCHC officiating team, and he has always enjoyed working with the officials.”
The award is named in honor of Mark Rudolph, a longtime official and distinguished administrator who resides in Colorado Springs and established USA Hockey’s National Officiating Program, among many other accomplishments. The award was officially established prior to the 2014-15 season.
Criteria for the award recipient shall be an individual who, through dedicated effort and service, both on and off the ice, has achieved a distinguished accomplishment during the previous NCHC season, and who by his actions has significantly enhanced the NCHC and its officiating program.
Past NCHC Mark Rudolph Officiating Achievement Award Winners
2013-14 – John Philo
2014-15 – Paul Carnathan
2015-16 – Joe Sullivan
2016-17 – Timm Walsh
2017-18 – Ron Foyt
2018-19 – Justin Hills
2019-20 – Geno Binda
2020-21 – Mike Schmitt
2021-22 – Josh Fenton
