Elizabeth Mantha, Anthony’s Sister, To Referee At 2022 Winter Olympics

Elizabeth Mantha, the sister of Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha, will be heading to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Mantha is one of five Canadian referees who will officiate in Beijing, along with three fellow Canadian linespersons.

Back in October, Mantha became one of the first 10 female officials in AHL history, refereeing a game between the Laval Rocket and Rochester Americans. And on Jan. 5, the QMJHL welcomed Mantha as the league’s first-ever female referee. She also officiated the 2021 IIHF Women’s Championship over the summer. In addition, she has officiated in the AAA Quebec Junior Hockey League, the CHWL and more.

The 31-year-old used to play CWHL hockey, as well as collegiate hockey. Mantha also laced ’em up for the uOttawa Gee-Gees and the University of Montreal, where she won a championship with the Carabins in 2013. In three total CIS seasons, she dished seven goals and 28 points in 53 games. In Ottawa, she grew a passion for refereeing and decided to focus on that aspect of her hockey career. She trained in the Hockey Canada Officiating Program.

“It’s not always easy, but at the same time, it gives me a lot of experience in terms of speed, execution and physical contact,” Mantha told Hockey Quebec (translated via Google Translate).

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As Mantha continues to make history, the Quebec native hopes that she can ultimately make it onto the NHL stage. The Olympics, of course, is a huge step forward.

“It would be unreal to see a woman in the NHL,” Anthony told NHL.com in 2018. “If it would be my sister, it would be unbelievable even more. Obviously, there are a lot of steps she needs to go through before getting there… if everything goes perfectly and everything is set up for her to be the next or first [woman] ref in the NHL, it would be really, really, really a success.”