The ultimate goal for a female hockey referee is to work at the Olympic Games, an officiant from Richmond Hill says, as presiding over a National Hockey League (NHL) match has never been an open avenue.

Vanessa Ley, 30, was one of four women invited to the NHL referee scouting combine last August. At the combine, about 80 prospective referees are put through a series of rigorous tests both on and off the ice, with the ultimate goal of being chosen to work in the league.

“It's something that I've never really given a lot of serious thought to in the past, because it was never an avenue that has been open to female officials,” Ley told CTV News Toronto.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, it’s only a matter of time before a woman officiates an NHL game.

“When you talk to the brass of the National Hockey League, they will say it's inevitable, that there will be women officiating in the NHL at some point,” he said.

Women have been officiating games with the National Basketball League for more than 20 years and they have been working with the National Football League since 2012.

While they have been invited to the NHL combines since 2015, the league has yet to actually hire a female referee to officiate a game.

Dreger said that the league has been approaching top female international players and officials, asking them to list possible concerns that a female official might face.

“The lack of pace was number one on the list. They were concerned whether or not they can keep up,” he said.

Last summer, American hockey player Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman to compete in the NHL fastest skater competition. She finished less than a second behind winner Connor McDavid.

“Honestly I wasn't as surprised as a lot of these players might have been, because we've seen these players play,” Ley said. “At the end of the day … there’s no reason that women can’t officiate in these leagues.”

On Sunday, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League announced it would be ceasing operations as of May 1. In a statement, the league said that “while the on-ice hockey is exceptional, the business model has proven to be economically unsustainable.”

Ley said she was stunned to see the league shut down as the talent was undeniable.

“I think the same exists on the officiating side,” she said. “There’s many, many talented female officials out there.”

This year’s NHL referee combine is still in the application process, but it is expected to be attended by more women than before.