Referee Joy Johnston (center) talks with Canada's Caroline Ouellet (left) and United States' Megan Duggan (right) during the 2014 Olympic women's hockey final.
Photo: International Ice Hockey Federation / André Ringuette
The “eye of the storm” refers to the quiet centre of a hurricane, or, metaphorically, a time of turmoil. And it was into that space that Joy Johnston (née Totman) had to enter to officiate the dramatic gold medal game between Canada and the United States in women's Olympic hockey in 2014.
Despite being 31 years old and a veteran of three Winter Olympics, it wasn't easy for the British umpire to capture the moment with the world watching in Sochi. Canada trailed 2-0 with under four minutes left in regulation before storming back to score two goals, including the overtime winner from captain Marie-Philippe Poulin, on a 5-on-3 power play.
“I was playing well and I felt I had a good chance of being selected. [to referee the final]Johnston recalled, “The moment the game started, I had a knot in my stomach. It was a really important game and a great showcase. The game itself was just thrilling. Big decisions had to be made, like overtime and penalties. It was a real honour to be a part of. It was a controversial and exciting game and I think it probably got a lot of people interested in women's hockey.”
Judge Joy Johnston poses with the Olympic Rings at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Photo courtesy of Joy Johnston
Interestingly, Johnston was the last official to solely officiate an Olympic final. At the 2015 IIHF Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Malmo, Sweden, the IIHF switched to a two-official system to meet the needs of an increasingly fast-paced sport.
“It was tough to find the right time to introduce it,” Johnston said, “and I think it was the right choice. It has had a really positive impact on the football world. I also think it's important that women's football is on par with men's football at senior level and that it uses the same refereeing system.”
Johnston, who hails from a less traditional hockey country, England, credits male mentors with boosting her confidence and credibility during that stage in women's hockey history: She specifically cites Konstantin Komissarov, the IIHF's longtime referee manager, and Matt Reif, USA Hockey's director of referee education.
“I always say success is a combination of preparation and opportunity, and Constantine gave me the opportunity to officiate at a higher level,” Johnston recalls. “I had a fun relationship with him. He was charismatic and very traditional in his thinking, but very supportive of women umpires. Matt opened up his women's umpire camps to international umpires so they could experience the North American game. I had the opportunity to travel across the U.S. around 2004 or 2005, which set me on a path to the IIHF. I owe a lot to USA Hockey. It was brave of both Constantine and Matt to have the confidence in me and to say, 'She's qualified to officiate the game at a level two or three levels above her country's international ranking.'”
Raised in Romford, near London, Johnston was originally inspired to pursue a career in umpiring thanks to the encouragement of her father, Dave. It was a multi-step process. At the age of eight, his father gave her early skating lessons so she could attend a friend's birthday party at the local rink. Her talent was immediately apparent, and her father's amusing theory led her to pursue hockey rather than figure skating: “He said to me, 'Figure skating seems dangerous because you don't have pads. Why don't you try hockey? It has pads and doesn't seem as dangerous.'”
She started out as a player in eight weeks of U10 boys' hockey lessons. Due to a shortage of referees, Dave was invited to referee several games over the weekend. As Johnston progressed to U12 level, she could no longer just sit unsupervised while her father refereed, and she began to take the whistle and attend games when she wasn't at them. Over time, the pair travelled together around the UK, gaining invaluable experience as referees. Johnston's passion for the rules and regulations only grew.
British umpire Dave Totman (left) mentored his daughter Joy (right) as she developed into an umpire.
Photo courtesy of Joy Johnston
“He was my mentor, my biggest supporter and my biggest critic,” Johnston recalled. “Later on, he was my linesman at times. It was an interesting relationship. You know, he's my dad, but really, I'm the No. 1 on the ice.”
Looking back, Johnston admits she had few British female sporting idols, beyond Olympic track and field stars Paula Radcliffe and Sally Gunnell. Male umpires like Dave Cloutman and Matt Thompson were new allies in the old British Ice Hockey Super League, welcoming Johnston in as linesmen as her career progressed.
Johnston, who studied for an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University from 2001 to 2004, found her umpiring duties kept her from playing much hockey, but her skating skills were useful as a substitute for the Oxford women's team in their crucial match against Cambridge.
She undoubtedly rose through the ranks as an IIHF umpire: Ice Hockey UK applied for an umpire's licence on her behalf, even though most of her experience was as a linesman. After a successful debut at the Women's World Cup Division II in Stelzing, Italy in 2004, Johnston was roped in to officiate at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin.
She got a real test when she was selected to officiate the semifinal match between the United States and Sweden, which pulled off the biggest upset in women's Olympic hockey history, winning 3-2 thanks to shootout goals from Pernilla Winberg and Maria Roos and a comeback win by goalie Kim Martin.
At one point, Johnston made a decision that carried as much weight as the early helmet cameras worn by referees in Turin. She gave U.S. star Angela Ruggiero a second chance in the shootout because Martin moved before Ruggiero could touch the puck. Ruggiero missed the vacant goal, and the decision was moot. But veteran NHL referee Don van Massenhoven approached Johnston after the game and praised her for her courage in making the call.
She later officiated the U.S.' bronze medal game, beating Finland 4-0. According to Johnston, Leaf told her, “Interestingly, the next day the U.S. had no objections to you officiating their game. And that's because you got through the semifinals so well.”
Joey Johnston (right), along with current IIHF Sports Director Kim Pedersen (left), served as the head umpire for the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Photo courtesy of Joy Johnston
She continued to land high-profile jobs, including helping Canada beat the United States, 5-1, to win the gold medal at the 2007 Women's World Championship in Winnipeg. But it wasn't all smooth sailing: She felt the pressure of high expectations, and as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics approached, she wasn't as confident and focused as she would have liked.
“It was a great experience being in the home of hockey, but I didn't get to show what I could,” Johnston admitted. “When I left Vancouver, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue officiating.”
A heart-to-heart conversation with her father motivated her to persevere, Johnston recalls. “He told me, 'Just get your confidence back and try for another Olympics,' and he said he couldn't come to Vancouver, but if I made it to Sochi he'd come.”
Sadly, the darkest period of her career was coming: her father died in August 2011. Johnston fought her way back onto the ice in September, but struggled.
“I was mentally exhausted,” Johnston said candidly, “doing a lot of misconduct penalties. Physically, my training wasn't great. Then I got slapped on the head and split my ear in half. I was carried off on a stretcher and had an orthopedic surgeon fix it. I took three months off to recover, and I probably ate my own body weight in Ben & Jerry's ice cream every night!”
Her chances of competing in the 2014 Olympics were slim, but the British officials were there for her. The same male officials who had helped her seize the opportunity to perform at a higher level earlier in her career, Cloutman and Thompson, supported her with the confidence and belief that she could succeed. They helped her refocus.
She hired a new personal trainer and trained at 5am every day before taking a job in sports governance, first with the Sport + Recreation Federation and later with UK Sport. She also drove three hours to Nottingham every week with her husband to take power skating lessons at 11pm on Fridays and late on Saturdays – the only times she could fit lessons.
“When I went to the Olympic trials camp in Lake Placid, I missed my husband's best friend's wedding to be there,” Johnston recalled. “I will always be grateful to Matt and Liz for understanding and supporting me in missing their wedding to go to camp.” She remains grateful to all of her friends and family for supporting her as she chased her dream and missed weddings, birthdays, christenings and family gatherings.
” [Lake Placid] “The umpire coach asked me if I would be sad if I wasn't selected, taking into account my wish to try again in memory of my father and what he had said to me,” she added, “and I replied, 'No, I have given it my all now. My father didn't expect anything less from me.' After the initial sadness and struggle, I think not having my father around has helped me focus even more, but those who have helped me along the way probably don't know what a big impact it has made.”
Following the climax of the 2014 Olympic final, Johnston has pursued a number of exciting new career opportunities: from serving as Head Umpire at Abu Dhabi Sports Club to her current role as Senior Operations and Governance Manager at the Premier League Charitable Foundation, she has seen all sides of the sport.
Joy Johnston (centre row, seventh from left) has brought her skills and experience to many international umpire camps, including the 2022 camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Photo courtesy of Joy Johnston
She has had a foothold in international hockey until recently as a referee for Ice Hockey UK and an IIHF referee coach and instructor. Having stepped down from her UK Hockey role a few years ago, she decided that now was the right time to also step down from her IIHF role.
“I'm honored to have the opportunity to give back to a sport that I'm dedicated to and passionate about and that has given me so much,” Johnston said. “That said, I feel that due to my reduced involvement, my ongoing appreciation of the game is probably not at the same level as it was a few years ago. On top of that, I've been in this job for a long time and there are work-life balance issues. Perhaps it's time to attend weddings and birthday parties and devote more time to my husband and family.”
Whether she's indulging in HIIT boot camps with her new, ultra-fit friends or “judging” the antics of her Boston terriers, Lola and Lexie, Johnston is looking forward to more leisure time and moments of zen in this new chapter of her life.
Still, she will always cherish her Olympic memories and looks forward to seeing how the next generation of judges perform their duties at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
