As it is for players, being on the ice for a Stanley Cup final is an honour. Only the best of the National Hockey League's on-ice officials get the chance.

Terry Gregson had that honour eight times.

"Getting to the Stanley Cup finals for an official  is just like it is for a player," Gregson said. "It's a long year and a lot of tough competition, and if you get selected to do the Stanley Cup finals, it's pretty exciting."

While the players are either celebrating a win or trying to accept a loss in hockey's biggest series, the officials are simply enjoying the fact that they've done their job well enough to be chosen for the biggest assignment of all.

"If you're on the ice when the Cup is presented, you probably had a pretty successful year," he said.

"It's a unique feeling, too, because you're out there when it's being awarded but, as an official, you can't actually win it."

That doesn't mean Gregson and his colleagues didn't get their own up-close and personal moments with Lord Stanley's bowl. The Cup was often kept in the officials' dressing room during games that could clinch the series.

"They used to keep it in our dressing room so we'd have it out of the box between periods, getting our pictures taken with it," he said. "If any of our friends or relatives were there at the final game, we'd be parading them in to get their pictures taken, too."

There were also some fun times, at official functions, when league pranksters would abscond with the Cup. "It would disappear and, of course, that would drive the security people nuts."

Two final series stand out in Gregson's mind. One was game seven of the 1994 final between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks.

"When you got to do a Game 7, especially back in the days of the one-referee system, it was pretty exciting," he said. "I also got to do the 1993 series, when Montreal won the Cup. That was the 100th anniversary of the first Stanley Cup final, so that was pretty special. They're all exciting, but those were pretty memorable."

Gregson, who makes his home at Lora Bay, is still very much involved with the NHL. He's the league's Senior Officiating Manager, a job that still calls for him to travel the continent to watch hockey games. Mind you, while everyone else is focused on the play, Gregson is watching the people in the striped shirts.

"I work with the officials at the NHL level," he explained. "I evaluate them, I try to help the younger guys through the learning curve. The more senior officials I work with in terms of helping them use their experience. For example, how to adapt as they get a little older and aren't quite as quick. I also work with them on succession planning, how to wind their career down."

Another part of his job is scouting. He's one of several people who travel around watching minor league and amateur referees in search of those who might have the talent to join the NHL officiating staff.

"We're always trying to find our own next number-one draft pick," he said.

Although the job keeps him on the road through the hockey season, it's not nearly as stressful or as hectic as his officiating days. For one thing, he says, he gets to set his own schedule now.

"It's less stressful because if I don't get to centre ice at a certain time, well, it doesn't matter too much. When you're an official you have to be there at game time," he said.

And he gets home for Christmas. As he spoke, yesterday, Gregson was heading home from a trip to Long Island where he watched the Islanders play Wednesday night. With the Cup coming to town, Saturday, he's taking the weekend to visit with that particular old friend as well as with Phil Pritchard and Craig Campbell, of the Hockey Hall of Fame, who brought the Cup to Beaver Valley Community Centre.

Gregson played a key role in arranging for the Cup to The Blue Mountains Saturday. He convinced the NHL to hold its pre-season training camp for referees and linesmen here. The Beaver Valley Arena and the Village at Blue Mountain hosted the camp last September. The league and the officials were so pleased that they asked the Hockey Hall of Fame to bring the Stanley Cup here as a gesture of thanks to the community. Proceeds from the visit will benefit the Beaver Valley Minor Hockey Association.

Gregson and his wife, Laurie, moved to this area in 2000, initially in a home at Historic Snowbridge, on Grey Rd. 19. Laurie's parents have been in the area for years and she and Terry both loved the area. As retirement neared for both of them, in 2004, they looked for a permanent home and bought at Lora Bay.

"I'm from a small town, originally, and Laurie knew the area well and has lots of relatives there, so that drew us there. And we really love the whole area," he said.