Dave Newell, the Assistant Director of Officiating for the NHL, made the following comment to me recently.
"I only have to look at a guy on the ice one time to tell if he has what it takes to become a professional referee. There are a lot of little things you look for, but most of all it is the presence of the person on the ice that is most important. How he carries himself; how he talks to the players; how he looks when he skates - these are things that tell you about the character of a person. You can teach someone about positioning and rules. You can even help him improve his skating. But you can’t teach judgement, common sense and rapport with the players. Those are the qualities which separate the top officials from the rest of the pack.."
Write this quote out in large letters and tape it inside your rule book. Listen carefully to what Mr. Newell has to say and make sure that if he sees you on the ice, he sees everything he is looking for in a professional referee.

There is a fine line between looking confident and looking cocky on the ice, but as a young official, confidence is critical.
A confident Referee is one who clearly looks like he is doing the best job that they he can do. You look confident when you skate as hard as you can all the time; try to be in the best position; show respect to the players and coaches; don’t talk back to the fans; and plain and simple, just have that special appearance that says "I know what I’m doing out here". A confident referee does not slouch, but stands up straight and is not afraid to look a player or coach in the eyes. Look confident and you will find the games a whole lot more enjoyable.

The only way to become a better referee or linesman is to do a lot of games. Experience is the best teacher. When the Referee-In-Chief asks you to do a game at the last second, do it if you can. Don’t pass up on any opportunity to get on the ice, even if it is at a lower level than you would like. The only way that you will gain experience is if you officiate games. The more games you officiate the better official you will become, and hockey needs more experienced officials if hockey is going to survive and get better.

There is no worse situation in hockey than having a coach know the rules better than the referee. Coaches can recognize a referee who knows his rules from a referee who does not. Whenever you have a spare moment, read your rule book and case book. If something happens in a game that you are unsure of, take out the rule book as soon as possible. The best referees read their book all the time, just like the best hockey players are the last ones off the ice during a practice. You can never know the rules too well!