It’s not just players that need make their team rosters for the IIHF’s flagship event. The 32 on-ice officials were selected from a long list of 75 names, based on their performances at international and national competitions during the ongoing hockey season.

The line-up of on-ice officials includes a mix of veterans and young, aspiring officials. 20 of them have worked the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship before, including 16 who return from the on-ice officials’ crew at the 2016 World Championship in Russia. They combine for an experience of 61 World Championships.

12 officials – six referees and six linesmen – were named to the IIHF’s top event for the first time ever although most of them have officiated in other IIHF events, such as the IIHF World Junior Championship before.

The most experienced referee comes from one of the host countries. For Daniel Piechaczek it will be his ninth World Championship. He will be one of two Germans together with linesman Lukas Kohlmuller, who was invited for the first time.

Swiss referee Tobias Wehrli will call his eighth Worlds. He called the gold-medal games in 2015 and 2016 and will be one of three returnees from last year’s final, together with referee Roman Gofman and linesman Gleb Lazarev, both from Russia.

The most experienced linesman is Ivan Dedyulya from Belarus, who will work games at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship for the ninth time.

The officials come from 14 different countries including two non-participation countries (Austria, Netherlands). The Czech Republic and Finland lead in the number of officials with four each.

The 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will take place from 5-21 May in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France.

Click here for a full list from the entire World Championship program.