Former ECHL player Bushee trades stick for whistle

By Pam Shebest / KWings.com

Kalamazoo Wings fans are not always welcoming to referees and linesmen when they step on the ice, so Kyle Bushee was a bit surprised when he heard cheering.

Bushee traded his K-Wings hockey jersey for linesman’s stripes once his playing days ended in 2019. His first assignment at Wings Event Center was “weird.”

“Playing there, knowing a lot of people, you don’t know how you’re going to be perceived but it was fun,” the former defenseman said.

K-Wings head coach Joel Martin was not surprised that Bushee ended up officiating.

“I think it’s somewhat typical of guys wanting to stay involved with the game, and being an official is just another path to stay involved with the game of hockey,” Martin said.

His first thought when he saw Bushee wearing the stripes was excitement for his former teammate. 

“I think any time you get officials that have playing experience, especially at a high level, our level, that’s really beneficial. Being an official involves knowing the rules. I think it’s important for them to have a real pulse on the game and the temperature of the game.”

Did Martin think his K-Wings might have an advantage?

“I wish,” the coach laughed. “I knew how professional he was as a player, how he handled himself and I knew it would be a good transition for him into officiating.”

When Bushee goes to Wings Event Center, “It’s funny because you still see my jersey, people know me. I see Booster Club members, Season Ticket Holders you’ve had relationships with. From the officiating side, (younger officials) are like ‘Who is this guy?’”

An added perk is seeing his name on the Wall of Honor, celebrating the K-Wings 50th anniversary.

“It was a nice feather in my cap of my career and knowing I made an impact here,” Bushee said. “The community, the town, the team meant a lot and still mean a lot to me.”

“Back in the day, my parents (Randy and Julie) were season ticket holders in the old IHL from 1980 to 86-87ish, so I spent a lot of time in that ice rink.”

Bushee’s time at the rink was not only as a spectator.

He started his hockey journey in the KOHA Learn to Skate program and worked his way through the different age levels until his teenage years, when he stepped up to AAA hockey.

His ties to Kalamazoo continued when he played two years at Western Michigan University and then again when he played three years with the K-Wings.

Most of Bushee’s 12 years pro were spent in the ECHL. His first stop was with the Cincinnati Cyclones, where he played 15 games at the end of his college career.

“With the Cyclones, I only played in one playoff game and that was enough for me to get met name on the Kelly Cup,” he said. “That started a 13-year journey all over the ECHL (with a year in Denmark and 22 games in the AHL).”

The officiating seeds were planted during Bushee’s two years at Canisius College (now University) in Buffalo, N.Y.

“Dave Smith was one of our volunteer assistant coaches,” he said. “He also happened to be the NHL referees strength and conditioning coach. He always planted bugs in everyone who played there. We had an alum, Peter MacDougall, who refs in the NHL.”

“It was also something I was curious about but I really loved playing. Looking back, if I had know some of the avenues and opportunities available, I probably would have stopped playing a little sooner to see if maybe I could make it to the NHL as an official.”

Now, as a linesman, he is revisiting some of his old stomping grounds. 

If there was any concern for favoritism when Bushee officiated his former teams’ games, he quickly put that idea to rest.

“I joked with Joe Ernst, who was in charge of officials then, that I played for basically most of the North Division between Wheeling, Toledo, Cincinnati and Kalamazoo so it would be hard for me to show any favoritism when I played for all of them.”

Playing vs. officiating

One of the biggest adjustments going from being a player to officiating is the responsibility.

“There’s no equipment manager (for officials),” Bushee said. “You’re doing it all yourself. You’re coordinating everything.”

"When we were playing, it was like here’s the itinerary for the weekend, show up for the bus at 2 p.m., play the game, get back on the bus. Someone’s checked you in at the hotel, you just get your room keys.”

“Officials, it’s all on you. Booking your travel, booking your hotel, booking your flight. I’m lucky. My footprint is pretty small and I don’t have any overnight stays.”

The ECHL has its preferred hotels and officials try to carpool whenever possible.

“When I work in Kalamazoo, I travel the 10 miles here and 10 miles back home,” he added.

There are some similarities between playing and officiating.

“I love the national anthem when everyone is gearing up,” Bushee said. “I love the butterflies you get. It allows me to compete and be in the game at a pretty high level that most guys, when they retire, don’t have the opportunity to do.”

“I love everything about the game: atmosphere, preparation, getting ready to play and knowing you have to be at your best.”

Bushee’s first officiating assignment was a game in Toledo, where he took his “rookie lap.”

“We go out before the players, so fans might have been wondering why this guy is out here by himself,” he said. 

“My first couple years, there were still guys I played against that were still around.”

Bushee steeled himself against those friends trying to butter him up.

“I try to draw a pretty hard line with guys I’m friends with off the ice,” he said. “But when we’re on the ice, I’m doing my job and you’re doing your job and we can be friends after the 60 minutes is over.”

One thing has not changed from Bushee’s playing days. He still wears new skate laces every game.

As a player, “I took my skates off after warmups and between every period,” he said. “After every game I just felt like they were worn out so I started getting new laces. 

“The equipment guys didn’t like me because I’d go through 72 pairs a season. (As an official), now, as part-time, I only do 20-30 games.

Some of the 131 ECHL lines people, which include a few females, are full-time.

Icings, faceoffs, fights

Linesmen’s main responsibilities are offsides, icings and faceoffs.

In addition, “We’re there to support the referees as well, break up fights,” he said, adding there is a technique to breaking up fisticuffs.

“If two guys want to fight and are willing combatants, we let them fight, he said. “There’s a lot more communication that goes on than fans realize, not only between the two combatants but the officials talking to them.”

“You have (an officiating) partner and you know who’s going to take who when we step in. We want the fight to be fair. As soon as we feel someone is getting an advantage, we step in.”

Bushee said officiating is a way to stay involved in hockey.

Because of family responsibilities, refereeing is off the table, at least for now, he said.

Bushee and his wife, Katie, have three young children: daughter Viv, 5, and sons Josiah, 3, and Zeke, 4 months, so he is happy as a part-time linesman.

“Viv is in Learn to Skate and Josiah is on ice for the first time,” he said. “Now we’re starting that journey.”

Besides the ECHL, Bushee also works college games in the NCHC, including WMU, and CCHA.

He has also continued his work with youth hockey as KOHA director, overseeing all phases of the organization’s 19 teams.

His day job is WMU’s assistant director for club sports where he oversees and manages the 28 club sports teams.

“They’re all student-run organizations, so there’s a wide range of some highly competitive teams to some purely social clubs,” he said. 

“I’m more of a risk manager who makes sure procedures and protocols are put in place, help them manage budgets, schedule all their practice times.”

Bushee said there are definite perks in officiating.

“Any time you get to work playoffs, it’s a feather in your cap for a season well done,” he said. “Plus you see new arenas, new teams and get paid to explore some areas I might not have the chance to.

“I’ve enjoyed it all. The ECHL has treated me well, both playing and officiating.”