Two standout QMJHL officials at the 2023 Memorial Cup
The 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia requires an abundance of planning, with moving pieces coming together at all points to form the best-on-best championship played between the top teams from the CHL’s three member leagues.
One of those important pieces is officiating. While some fans can find themselves frustrated with officiating in a certain game, the importance of the referee’s role has never been misunderstood by supporters. In light of this, the QMJHL would like to highlight the profiles of its two officials currently working at the 2023 CHL Memorial Cup, referee Simon Tartre and linesman Maxime Desjardins.
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Simon Tartre
Now 34 years old, Simon began his amateur officiating career at the age of 16, in the Laval, Quebec region. Fast-forward to today, and Tartre is currently finishing up his 12th season in the QMJHL. While he’s amassed a heavy baggage of experience throughout the years, this marks his first appearance at the prestigious Memorial Cup tournament.
Over his 12 seasons in the Q, Simon has officiated in 380 regular season games and 49 more in the playoffs, including two games in the league Final. He was also previously selected as an official for the 2018 Canada-Russia Series, when it was held in Sherbrooke.
As a recruited official of the Hockey Quebec Provincial Referee Program, Simon has been selected to participate in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence camps (OPOE). These opportunities have led him to participate in the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Sydney, Cape Breton, as well as the Fred Page Cup, the Canadian Junior A Hockey Championship.
In order to give back to the game he loves so much, Simon has been training up-and-coming referees for the past 12 seasons within Polyvalente Horizon-Jeunesse’s hockey program. There, hockey players from grades 9 and 10 can receive Level 1 officiating training.
Outside of his duties as an official, Simon works as an Account Specialist at NAPA Canada.
Photos by Candice Ward/CHL
Maxime Desjardins
Maxime Desjardins is a 33-year-old official that hails from the Laurentides-Lanaudière Referee Program. He started his career at the age of 17 and progressed through the ranks at the regional level. In the 2011-2012 season, he was selected to join Hockey Quebec’s Provincial Referee Program as a linesman, before becoming a referee in the program during the following season.
After deciding to focus his energy on his work as a linesman, his breakthrough came in the 2012-2013 season when he was asked to join the QMJHL. At the conclusion of this year’s Memorial Cup tournament, Desjardins will have completed his 11th season in the league. To date, he has worked 328 regular season games and 48 playoff matchups, including two games in the league Final.
Desjardins was also selected to participate in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence camps. Some of his career highlights so far include the 2016 Canada-Russia Series in Baie-Comeau, and the 2021-2022 season during which he worked as a linesman in the ECHL.
As the Chief Regional Supervisor and as the Officials Development Manager, Maxime is greatly involved in recruiting and forming officials within his local referee program. A keen golf enthusiast, he also works for Golf Canada as the Regional Director of Quebec.
Photos by Candice Ward/CHL
