For Bud Arnold, there was a special significance involved with being elected into Sport Yukon's Hall of Fame as an official.

The Whitehorse resident was honoured this past Friday at the Westmark during the annual Sport Yukon Awards Night presentation.

"I referee hockey and umpire ball, so I am busy year round in the officiating category and just to be able to provide something back to the community in that area," he said. "The game cannot happen without officials, so basically that's why I am glad to be in that category."

Arnold's involvement in hockey keeps him busy throughout the season as both a player and volunteer. His list of accomplishments is a long one, which includes being a certified referee for 29 years.

Throughout those years, Arnold has contributed his time in many different ways, which have included coaching, time keeping, one of the members on minor hockey's disciplinary committee, on-ice official, off-ice official, statistician and administrator for the Whitehorse Minor Hockey League's website.

Arnold is also an avid supporter of training and developing young referees and has delivered clinics on many occasions over the years.

Despite all of the hard work and contributions to the community, Arnold said he was still surprised when he got the phone call from Trevor Twardochleb, Sport Yukon's executive director, around 10 days before the awards night.

"I was in shock," he said. "I know Trevor doesn't pull jokes and stuff like that, so I knew he was serious. I was just very surprised and thought it was quite an honour to be even nominated, let alone accepted."

He said the honour meant so much to him because of the class of former inductees and the only difficult part was delivering his speech.

"I was petrified," Arnold said chuckling. "I can stand in an arena in front of 2,000 people and call the game of my life with no problem at all, but to get up and speak in front of a bunch of people, I was pretty scared. It was very tough, but I got through it OK."

Arnold said it was a once and a lifetime type of feeling when he accepted his hall of fame plaque.

"The feeling was ‘Wow I have received the award, it's in my hands and no one can take it away,'" he said. "Just looking around the room and seeing all the people that helped to get me there was a great feeling in itself."

Arnold said he plans on putting the plaque on display in his family's awards room, adding he will devote a special spot on one of the walls for it.

"It's very special in that way," he said. "It doesn't mean I am going to give up anything now, I am going to still be just as involved, if not more than ever."