Well surprisingly enough the best training for a referee is…playing. There is no better way to train to become an official than to play the game it offers important insight into what players are thinking and going through. It allows you to see the game in their shoes. Some of the best officials out there have played decent levels of hockey.
Lets take a look at Wes McCauley. He played university hockey in the NCAA (Div I). It is assumed that if you can play at this level you can obviously referee at that level. He is currently working in the NHL. It is difficult to referee a game that you don’t quite understand. Additionally you develop a “hockey sense” as to where players are moving and where the puck is going. Not to mention the athletic/health benefits of playing.
Saying that playing is the best training is a little like saying being a criminal is the best way to become a cop. The two do not necessarily follow. There are several referees in the NHL who never played above the bantam level; some in just house league.
How can you possibly say that playing is the best training. The best training to be a referee is to referee! Is the best training to be a surgeon to have surgery? Speaking from years of experience, many players who turn to officiating view the game TOO MUCH like a hockey player. They don’t see the game from a neutral enough perspective. Some let way too much go and don’t know how to bring it back into control.