You will have to forgive if he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 recall his first game as an NHL official.

After 30 years, millions of air miles and on the cusp of 2,000 NHL regular season games wearing the stripes, Heyer乌鸦传媒檚 life has been a bit of a blur since he first learned the job of untangling hockey players and dodging pucks in Penticton.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been a fun journey, though,乌鸦传媒� said Heyer, trying to recall what he was feeling the first time he stepped out on the ice as an NHL official.

It was Oct. 6, 1988, and the Winnipeg Jets were visiting the Vancouver Canucks.

乌鸦传媒淚 do remember it ended 2-2 and it was at the Vancouver Coliseum,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou know, now when I look at it, I was very fortunate. When I first started, I probably didn乌鸦传媒檛 fully appreciate it. Now I look around as I skate with the best players and best officials in the world on a regular basis and I am thankful.乌鸦传媒�

On Feb. 25, he will hit the 2,000 game milestone. It乌鸦传媒檚 something he humbly shrugs off, or perhaps it is entrenched in his nature to be even-keeled about everything. Heyer, who grew up in the Penticton Minor Hockey system, got his first taste of officiating at a young age, thanks to his coach Dunc Jamieson.

乌鸦传媒淒unc made the whole team try it. So my first time was when I was 11 years old in the old McLaren Park Arena. I kept at it and when I was a teen, Brent Deleeuw started assigning me games in town. Games that I might not have been ready for yet, but I learned in hurry. I came through the minor system, then was in the B.C. Junior Hockey League, eventually to the Western Hockey League when I was 19. I was 24 when I first started in the NHL, pretty young by today乌鸦传媒檚 standards.乌鸦传媒�

Jamieson, now deceased, was a long-time supporter of minor hockey in Penticton and throughout the province. An award was created last year by the PMHA for lifetime achievement in his honour. The B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame also gives out an award in his name to the minor hockey player of the year.

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Officiating was not the career path Heyer thought he was on.

乌鸦传媒淚 quit playing hockey when I was 15 or 16. I saw my peak and it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 going much further than that. At that point, I wanted to be a basketball player, but there was that lack of skill thing. Officiating was just for fun, I never thought I would make a career of it but then one thing led to another.乌鸦传媒�

Heyer乌鸦传媒檚 milestone game will be officiating the Anaheim Ducks against the visiting Edmonton Oilers 乌鸦传媒� fitting, as he talks about how fast the players have become.

乌鸦传媒淭here are players like Connor McDavid and they are just getting so fast now. It乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of work to be an official. It is a year-round job because just like the players, you have to work to stay in shape. You have to be dedicated to stay in shape as the players乌鸦传媒� skill gets better and they get faster it seems my skill set goes in the other direction,乌鸦传媒� Heyer said with a laugh.

The official has worked the NHL playoffs, six Stanley Cup finals, an NHL all-star game, the 1996 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey, two NHL outdoor games and even at the Olympics in 2010.

乌鸦传媒淥ur family is fortunate. We do see a lot of fun things. Last year, during the finals, my wife and kids all came to Nashville. They have come with me to New York City for the outdoor game, and we all made the trip to Vancouver for the Olympics,乌鸦传媒� said Heyer, who has called San Diego his home, with his wife and kids, for the past 22 years.

Heyer estimates he has spent 12 years of his life in hotel rooms. He has long stopped counting the miles spent in the air.

乌鸦传媒淥ver the years, millions. I passed 2,000,000 on American Airlines alone a couple of years ago. That doesn乌鸦传媒檛 even include the first eight years of my career when I was in Vancouver or using different airlines.乌鸦传媒�

But he wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 change it for the world.

乌鸦传媒淭he players are amazing. You don乌鸦传媒檛 get to appreciate their full speed and skill until you are at ice level with them. Above all else, I love to watch and learn about the game. It drives my wife crazy because when I and home I will have a game going on my phone, another on the iPad and switching back and forth on the TV.乌鸦传媒�