FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Every player who laces up for the Alaska Nanooks hockey team aspires to one day be playing in the National Hockey League. Unfortunately, only a few reach that dream of becoming a professional player, yet, one former Nanook has carved a new path for players at UAF to reach their goal of skating in an NHL game.
Brandon Gawryletz was a defenseman for the Nanooks from 2004-08. He only accounted for eight points in his 130 career appearances, scoring three goals and tallying five assists. The highlight of Gawryletz's career came during the 2008 Governor's Cup, when he scored a shorthanded goal to help the Nanooks to tie Alaska Anchorage, 2-2.
"Brandon was an honest and competitive player, said current Alaska Nanooks head hockey coach Dallas Ferguson, who was an assistant at UAF during Gawryletz tenure. "Every Division I hockey players want an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League, and Brandon was no different. He was a great team player and when his career at UAF ended, he knew he was going to be doing something other than playing competitively."
After graduating from UAF, Gawryletz moved to Phoenix, Arizona. He was away from hockey for the first time in his life, but he still yearned to be back on the ice. He was offered a chance to lace his skates once more but it was for a role that he was slightly unfamiliar with.
"I had a friend in Phoenix that was an official and he was looking for some help," Gawryletz recalls. "He knew I played collegiate hockey and that I was familiar with the game, so he asked if I would leaned a hand at an adult league game. I never officiated before, but I went ahead and did it, and fell in love with it instantly."
Enamored with the idea of officiating, Gawryletz found a way to reach his lifelong goal of getting to the NHL. He began to network and do research on how to become a licensed professional official, and he eventually worked his way into games at minor league levels, calling as a linesman in the Central Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League.
"I did a ton of games at the minor league level. I wanted to do as many as I could, because the more games you officiate, the more time the NHL supervisors are able to watch you and determine if you can officiate at that level."
The Trail, British Columbia native was elevating himself through the minor league ranks at a rapid pace. In 2013, Gawryletz earned his spot as an official in the CHL Ray Miron President's Cup Finals, the championship series for that league. At the conclusion of that season, Gawryletz attended the 2014 NHL Exposure Official Camp, it was another concrete step in getting him into the NHL.
"Over recent years, the NHL has started targeting NCAA graduating seniors by inviting them to officiating clinics and orientations," Ferguson said. "It's a smart move, as these players have the athletic ability to stay with the play, as well as have common sense approach to the game."
Gawryletz had captured the attention of those in charge of assigning games, and received a portion of American Hockey League games on top of his CHL schedule in 2014. Spanning back and forth between the AHL and CHL, Gawryletz was able to show his talents to a wider audience, as more and more NHL supervisors took notice of him. He again officiated in the Ray Miron President's Cup in 2014 and continued to split time between the AHL and CHL.
Finally, on Sept. 1, Gawryletz got the call he had been waiting for. The NHL announced that he had been hired to be in the official's rotation for the upcoming 2015-16 season, becoming the first Alaska hockey player to become an NHL official. Gawryletz will split time between the AHL and NHL this season, and is currently unsure when and where his first NHL game will take place. But, when he gets the call, it's going to be a special moment for not only Gawryletz, but for the Alaska Nanooks hockey program.
"I grew up always waiting to play in the NHL," Gawryletz stated. "I realized early on my college career that it wasn't going to happen, and to get an opportunity to be involved in the NHL and skate on the same ice as some of the greatest players in the world is going to be a tremendous honor. This would not have happened without my time at UAF and learning from Coach Ferguson about the value of having a strong work ethic."
"When Brandon steps on the ice for his first NHL game, he can say he is working at the top of his profession in the best hockey league in the world," said Ferguson. "Not many people in the game of hockey can say that."
Gawryletz's trek demonstrates that there is still a way to get to the highest level of professional hockey, even if it isn't as a player. He hopes that his journey will be a lesson for current Nanook players, and he is hopeful to one day see more of his fellow UAF alumni in the officiating fraternity.
"Alaska is a special place to play. Coach Ferguson does a great job instilling work ethic into all of his players and that's exactly what the NHL is looking for when it comes to hiring officials. I want these guys to enjoy their time here, play hard and graduate, and if playing isn't an option for them anymore, than officiating is a great way to stay involved."
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