Lots of news out of the final gathering of the year of the Greater Sudbury Hockey Officials Association (GSHOA), as the group not only doled out their annual awards, but also welcomed in a healthy influx of new faces to the boardroom table, holding their annual election of officers at the AGM.

With Bryan Carruthers stepping aside, the role of president will now be tackled by a long-time very familiar face on the local scene, as Copper Cliff's Michael Creasey stepped forward.

Creasey will be joined by newcomers Dave Poeta (vice-president), Serena Seguin (secretary), Tim Russell (chairperson) and Jordan Mazzuca (treasurer), while Samantha Starling returns for a second year in the role of VP - Junior Officials.

After playing a critical role in ensuring that the Horizon Web Ref assigning system would be property templated and effectively utilized this past season, in addition to tackling countless other duties along the way, Michael Martyn will transition to a newly created post as "Technical Director" of the association.

As for the 2016-2017 accolades, rookie officials of the year will be shared between Emma Carniello and Cameron Buttazzoni, while Keith McNab was singled out as the "most dedicated official".

"Most Improved Official" bragging rights would go to Devin Weber, with Nick Head-Petersen receiving the "Most Promising Official" award. While the Sunday morning meeting provided an opportunity for turnover, it was also a chance to share some thanks with a pair of gentlemen whose involvement in the sport dates back several decades.

Valley East referee-in-chief Dan Draper and GSHOA treasurer and NOHA Council Director Bruce Killah are both stepping back from their day to day involvement with hockey, with more to come on both of these folks in the weeks and months ahead.