As he stepped on the ice to officiate the Under-18 ‘A’ All-Star Game fuelled by Gatorade in January, it was a full circle moment for third-year Greater Toronto Hockey League official Cooper Mair.
Mair grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. At a young age, he was able to feel the strong hockey roots across the community. His brothers also played, which made for a lot of time spent at arenas and anywhere else there was a sheet of ice.
“Having two older brothers, I basically spent my entire life at the rink. I just loved playing. I loved watching,” Mair shared.
With the GTHL, Mair played house league and at the competitive level. Primarily playing for the 1999 ‘AA’ Scarborough Young Bruins team for the majority of his minor hockey career, he later made the switch to ‘A’ for his last few years.
During Mair’s last year in the GTHL as a player, he was chosen for the GTHL U18 ‘A’ All-Star Game. Fast forward to 2026, he was selected once more for the game – only this time as a linesperson.
“It brought me back close to 10 years. To me, that’s pretty special,” Mair said.
Mair began officiating house league games as a teenager and has since progressed to officiating higher levels of hockey. He’s always looking to improve with a progressive mindset, constantly doing what he can to get better.
“If you always have aspirations to do more, that’ll help you grow.” Mair said.
Mair has a promising future in the sport industry. He has already contributed travelling across the Greater Toronto Area to keep games fair and safe across youth hockey as an official in the GTHL, but he is also looking to launch himself into the sports industry. Enrolling in Durham College’s post-graduate Sport Management program, he’s looking to be around the rink, court, or field full-time. With various sports, paths, and niches to grapple onto in the industry, he knows one thing he’d like to accomplish during his career.
“Initiatives to help grow the game would interest me. How are we going to get these communities involved in the sport. How can we help grow the game?” Mair reflected.
Luckily, officiating has contributed to becoming a young leader in the community for Mair. He credits the more experienced officials in the GTHL that he has leaned on for support.
“I still talk with my mentors that are in the league, ask them opinions about calls,” Mair explained.
Even as a young official, Mair has taken on some responsibility to allow younger officials to lean on him if they are in need of advice. The leadership skills that he learned in the GTHL as a player and official are now being used to help the next round of officials – enabling them to contribute to the game and exude the joy of being a part of the bigger hockey picture.
“I always try to tell them a referee has to be resilient and have a strong mindset,” Mair shared.
This mindset has enabled him to be a part of extraordinary events, including being selected as an official for the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) U15 ‘AAA’ Championship. It was a remarkable experience for Mair, but a motivating one as well. Being selected for this championship was one of the biggest moments for him in his officiating career.
“Confidence, commitment, and leadership,” Mair shared when asked why he thought he was selected for the championship. “Every time I go on the ice, I skate hard and there’s not a quiet night. Communicating loudly. I am trying to be what everyone expects an official to be.”
It’s moments like this that can make it feel rewarding as an official to keep working towards overall goals in the GTHL and in hockey. This includes reinforcing safety and fairness that is exhibited in youth hockey – characteristics exemplified by the community of GTHL officials.
“The one thing [senior officials] say is as long as the game is safe and fair, that’s always a good outcome,” Mair said.
Mair will keep bringing his passion, respect, and unmistakable spirit to GTHL rinks for the rest of the season and well beyond. With the GTHL Playoffs presented by Gitch Sportswear now in full swing, you’ll likely see him — or hear him — adding that same lively energy on the ice. And if his commitment to hockey and sport thus far is any indication, his impact in the game is only just beginning.
