Côte Saint-Luc's Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, David Taveroff (pictured below),, officiated his 1,000th game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) on Sunday, October 17 in Verdun. That is a remarkable achievement. It's also quite impressive that he kept track of all those games.
Taveroff joinied only two other officials at the 1,000-game level. He has been officiating QMJHL games for 28 seasons. His first game was on September 25, 1983. His association with the league led to a career highlight when Taveroff officiated at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Sweden in 1993. He is also the video replay judge for the National Hockey League for half the Canadiens games played in Montreal.
“People who know me, know how much I love sports in general and hockey in particular,” said Taveroff, who joined the City of Côte Saint-Luc in 2002. “Officiating games across Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and Maine has put a lot of kilomteres on my car, but rewarded me ten-fold with lifelong friends and wonderful memories.”
Taveroff says officiating has given him invaluable experience in managing people and building consensus.
“When you’re on the ice with young, strong players, you learn how to defuse situations quickly,” Taveroff said. “Hockey—like life—can be a tough, emotional experience and the job of the official is to make sure everyone feels they were treated fairly.”
QMJHL teams are based in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Maine. Many hockey greats have passed through the league en route to National Hockey League, including Mario Lemieux, Luc Robitaille, Patrick Roy, and Sydney Crosby. The Montreal Juniors and the Quebec Ramparts are two of the league’s 18 teams.
“It’s been a blast watching the development of young players and of hockey in general over the past 28 years,” Taveroff said. “Officiating has allowed me to retain a passion for the sport of hockey and to participate at a high level.”
David certainly has his hands full these days in CSL, as he helps to oversee the construction of our new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre.