Once before a game, official Kyle Rehman called Young into the official's room and gave him his card, a whistle and his NHL referee sweater.
"I still to this day honor and cherish the sweater," Young said.
Though he doesn't wear that same sweater, the black and white stripes have become his work wardrobe as Young, now 18, is pursuing a career as an official.
In August, he participated in the sixth annual NHL Exposure Combine, held at Harborcenter. The combine is where prospective officials go through fitness testing and drills in hopes of climbing the officiating ranks. For the second straight year, Young was the youngest of the 96 invited.
His career began with reaching out locally in Illinois, working mites and squirts to midget and high school hockey. That helped him earn a spot in USA Hockey's Officiating Development Program, through which opened doors to work games in the North American Hockey League, including the 2019 Robertson Cup Final, and United States Hockey League.
"That was eye-opening for me because I was the youngest one in that program and working those games," said Young, who became a certified official when he was 15. "I was the same age as or younger than a lot of those players. That experience is very valuable, a great learning experience."
Young grew up surrounded by hockey, with his dad going 59-86-12 from 1985-95 with the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Wendell Young said his son is very humble, despite of all that he has done at such an early age.
"He's pretty quiet about his accomplishments," he said. "He doesn't brag about anything; that's not in his DNA. He's very calm about it and going on his way. I think he's proud of himself and he should be, but at the same time, he's not anybody to brag."