I found a sweater under the bleachers of my local rink, and a year later, I’m lining junior hockey. Ref's Crease has supported my officiating and financial goals at every stage of my life. Whether it was balancing my officiating schedule with my junior and college hockey commitments, or developing the skills to officiate at a professional level after my playing career, they’ve been with me every step of the way. They've created a community I'm proud to be a part of." - Phillip Garcia, Ref's Crease Official

Meet Our Director of Development

We take pride in nurturing the best officials through our comprehensive development program. Our mission is to build a strong local foundation, paving the way for a robust national officiating network.

Eugene (Geno) Binda Jr.

Supervisor of Officials (ECO)

Eugene (Geno) Binda Jr. brings a wealth of experience with over ten seasons in professional hockey, having worked for prestigious leagues such as the Southern Professional Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, and American Hockey League. His career began when he was invited to Omaha, Nebraska, to officiate in the USHL, a premier Junior Hockey League. During his first season, he officiated the USHL Finals and later moved to Ontario, California, to work for the East Coast Hockey League. Over two seasons with the ECHL, Geno officiated the Finals in 2009 and 2010 and was selected to work the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game.
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Geno then spent eight full-time seasons in the AHL, officiating over 500 games and working the Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. As his professional career transitioned, he continued to officiate Division 1 College Hockey, working with the NCHC and Atlantic Hockey conferences. He was selected to officiate the NCAA Frozen Four in both 2016 and 2018, working a Semi-Final game each year.