Cody Beach
Canadian ice hockey player and referee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cody Beach is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current National Hockey League (NHL) referee.
| Cody Beach | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beach playing for the Chicago Wolves in 2013 | |||
| Born |
August 8, 1992 Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Calgary Hitmen Moose Jaw Warriors Chicago Wolves Kalamazoo Wings Alaska Aces | ||
| NHL draft |
134th overall, 2010 St. Louis Blues | ||
| Playing career | 2007–2016 | ||
Early life
Beach was born in Nanaimo and raised in Kelowna. He played hockey in his youth for the Rockets bantam tier one team.[1]
Professional playing career
Beach was selected 58th overall in the 2007 CHL draft by the Calgary Hitmen.[2]
In Beach's 2009-10 WHL rookie season, he fought for the first time in his professional hockey career. In that season, he led all rookies in penalty minutes, earning 157 in 51 games.[2]
Beach was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL entry draft by the St. Louis Blues.[2]
During the Western Hockey League 2011-12 season, Beach led the league with 229 penalty minutes, maintaining a near point-per-game pace with the Moose Jaw Warriors. In the postseason, he had 10 points and 29 penalty minutes across 13 games.[2] Through Beach's two seasons with Moose Jaw, he posted 21 goals, 90 points, and 392 penalty minutes in 98 games.[3]
Moving up in professional leagues, Beach spent four seasons bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL, playing for the Chicago Wolves, Kalamazoo Wings, and Alaska Aces.[2] Beach retired from professional hockey in 2016 at the age of 24 after suffering from the lingering effects of a concussion sustained in the previous season.[2]
Officiating career
After retiring from playing hockey professionally, Beach initially sold farm equipment in Moose Jaw for a few years.[2] Beach was encouraged to try officiating by former WHL referee Shane Smith.[3] Wanting to return to hockey, in 2017, Beach reached out to the director of officiating for the WHL, Kevin Muench, who directed him to the Saskatchewan Hockey Officiating Development Program.[2] Beach would go on to officiate in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Prairie Junior Hockey League and Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.[4] In 2019, Beach was invited to the WHL Officiating Camp.[2] He would also attend the NHL’s Exposure Combine later that year, a program designed for former players to transition into officiating.[2] Beach served as a linesman during the 2019 WHL Cup tournament.[4]
Beach made his pre-season officiating debut in the WHL in 2019,[5] and his regular-season debut in 2020.[2] Al Kimmel, the director of scouting and development for NHL Officiating, scouted a game officiated by Beach that season and decided to invite him back to the Exposure Combine in 2021.[2] After the combine, Beach was signed to a contract that saw him officiate AHL games, with the potential to work for the NHL.[2]
On April 12, 2022, Beach made his NHL officiating debut, working a game between the Arizona Coyotes and the New Jersey Devils.[2][1]
Personal life
Beach is married to his wife, Keshia. They have two daughters together.[2]
Cody Beach is the brother of former professional hockey player, Kyle Beach.[2]