Oscar Almquist Award winner: Bill Kronschnabel

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

The Oscar Almquist Award is given annually to a non-coach individual who has contributed to the success of high school hockey by advancing opportunities for players and coaches.

In 36 years as a Minnesota State High School League official, Bill Kronschnabel left his mark as one of the best and most respected men to officiate the game.

Not only did he work state championships, being called upon for the state championship games in 1987 and 1990, but he was a regular for Section 7 championships, working 11 consecutive 7AA title games and eight consecutive 7A championship games. He also worked section champion games throughout the state in Section 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8.

Kronschnabel was elected to the Board of St. Paul Hockey Officials Association in 1986 and went on to as its president for eight years.

It was also in 1986 when Kronschnabel became the Head Hockey Rules Clinician for the MSHSL, a position he currently holds as the State Coordinator of Hockey Officials. He has also been the Supervisor of State Tournament Hockey Officials since 1991. In that capacity, he has helped pioneer the use of video replay in the state tournament, making Minnesota the only state to use video replay for any sport. He has also been instrumental in the use of the two referee/two linesman system, which the MSHSL implemented for the 2009 state tournaments.

A 12-year member of the National Federation Ice Hockey Rules Committee, he was honored in 2009 with the MSHSL Merit Award in 2009.

Kronschnabel’s officiating work has gone beyond the high school level. He spent 24 years as an NCAA Division III official, working numerous NCAA, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Northern Collegiate Hockey Association tournaments.

He served on the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Committee from 2005-2009 and was the committee chair his last two years. He has also served as Supervisor of Officials for the MIAC, NCHA and Midwest Collegiate Hockey Associations and is currently in his 10th season as the commissioner of the NCHA.

An off-ice official assigned by the NHL to the Minnesota Wild since 2006, Kronschnabel was the tournament director for the 2011 NCAA Division III Frozen Four, he has also served as an off-ice official for several NCAA Division I men’s regionals as well as the 2011 Frozen Four and has been the NCAA Video Replay Official for NCAA Division I Women’s Frozen Fours in Minneapolis and Duluth.