The XHL has announced that Dave Glass will take over as the vice-president of the league effectively immediately.
When Glass came to the league in the midst of the 2017 XHL season, very few knew who he was or why he would want to volunteer his time to simply be a referee. After all, why would anybody in their right mind voluntarily sign up to be occasionally abused, sometimes hated, and never thanked? I guess you can say it’s just part of his makeup.
“I’ve been officiating since I was sixteen,” Glass wrote. “Most of my experience is in baseball/softball, football, and wrestling. I don’t have a lot of on-ice ref experience, but I’ve found that the basic principles of officiating generally transcend the sport and the rule book. Plus, I’ve watched and played enough hockey to have a good feel for the game.”
It is that mindset that created a great first impression and has helped him earn his stripes, pun intended,in the XHL. Glass finished the remainder of the 2017 season as a referee, even officiating the most heated games during the playoffs. When the summer season ended, he decided to step back onto the court as a player in the Fall League.
Admittedly, quite a bit of time had elapsed since Glass had laced up the skates in a competitive game. In comparison to many XHL players who grew up playing, he had not learned to skate until his senior year of college at Penn State.
“I needed another ESACT course and always wanted to try it,” he explained. “That led me to try intramural that spring and then to play rec ice hockey in the D.C. area for three years. We even played in the Verizon Center after Caps games twice. After I got married and had kids, the playing time was spotty. I played in Bigler on pickup weekends from time to time, but I don’t believe I had been on blades in at least four years when I met you all.”
Despite his later arrival to the hockey court, Glass is no stranger to the game. Like so many of his generation from this area, he became a fan watching the dazzle and dexterity of the Pittsburgh Penguins from the early 1990s. It was the 1991 Stanley Cup championship run that began his love affair. He’s been a big fan ever since and is a current season ticket holder.
When he was introduced to Fred Terwilliger (one of the league’s three remaining original players from 2001) after moving to DuBois in 2015, he learned about the XHL and decided to check it out. It didn’t take him long to be impressed with the level of speed and skill the league has to offer and the general enthusiasm of participants.
After Steve Pompeii stepped down as vice-president due to a busy work schedule, it didn’t take President Brian Anderson long to think of a good candidate.
“There are so many good guys in this league, but there was one name that instantly crossed my mind,” Anderson said. “When I asked him to fill the spot, he was a bit surprised…but he gladly accepted the offer. He continues to show a lot of interest in the league and I feel like he will do anything he can to help us take the next step. I am excited to have him a part of the XHL going forward.”
In addition to hishockey knowledge, people skills, and sense of community, Anderson also noted another factor that was a big part of the decision to ask Glass to join the league officers.
“It may have been a fairer approach to ask someone who has been around the league for a while to fill that spot, but I felt like we needed someone new to step in,” Anderson added.
Glass also thinks having a fresh face could be a positive going forward.
“I hope I can bring a neutral outlook. I have no history with the league or the players, and sometimes, a new perspective can be very helpful,” he reasoned.
As the vice-president, Glass will help to support Anderson and the rest of the board with operations. More specifically, he hopes to take a more active role with the officiating to improve consistency and hopes to promote the league to the community.
So where will he start?
“We need more refs. I find that when players ref, and get an appreciation for the job, they become better players. They interact more respectfully, and they tend to commit fewer penalties themselves,” he said.
Appreciation goes both ways, and the league is fortunate to have a person like Dave Glass as a part of the leadership group.
Glass is currently employed as an insurance agent at Allstate. He lives in Clearfield with his wife Jessica Mondi-Glass and four boys.
