SPOKANE, Wash. — For many hockey and figure skaters in Spokane, Eagles Ice Arena is a second home, where friends become family and dreams take off.
“I honestly think one of my first memories was on Rink-2 here with my dad,” Sean MacFarlane said. “I remember getting ready on these bleachers right here – this is home.”
MacFarlane, who went to East Valley, played hockey here locally, was a “Spokane Brave,” and spent countless hours on the ice.
And this Olympics, he will be on the ice, serving as a referee for the Milano Cortina 2026 games.
“Somebody from Spokane that started skating at 18 months at Eagles Ice Arena is going to be in Milano in February skating with the best players in the world,” MacFarlane said.
The games have been a dream in the back of his mind. Something his work to accomplish.
“I have thought about for years – I was close to making it into Beijing, I was one of the last cuts so that was devastating – so for four years this has been my goal,” MacFarlane said.
Once he learned he was going this time – it was time to get to work — and that meant traveling to Europe in October, where he did additional refereeing.
2010 he says really was the first Olympics’ he paid attention to – that of course being Vancouver, just up the street from where we live.
“[It’s a dream I’ve had] I’ve had in hockey ever since Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in 2010,” MacFarlane said.
The dream evolving since then.
“I obviously did not make it as a player,” MacFarlane said, “staying on the ice as a referee, I mean to be on the ice with best players in the world and the best hockey since 2014, it’s going to be a dream come true.”
MacFarlane pulled inspiration from Dennis Larue, who’s from Spokane, Larue is an iconic name and hockey refereeing, additionally he refereed for four separate Olympic games.
“To know I have reached one of his goals is special to me,” MacFarlane said, “I’ve looked up to him for so long.”
He added this journey to the games — impossible — without the people at Eagles — -and of course his family.
“My dad loves it– he grew up playing hockey so he understands how important it is and without my mom and dad I would have never this wouldn’t have happened,” MacFarlane said.
[via text from Milano, his mom added that she also played hockey,– and that shes so proud of Sean.]
“Somebody from Spokane that started skating at 18 months at Eagles Ice Arena it’s going to be in Milano in February skating with the best players in the world,” MacFarlane said.
Congratulations Sean.
