was 20 years old, and I was on my way as an official. I was working Junior B hockey and working with officials like Don Henderson, now in the NHL. Life as an official was good. How was I to know it was all about to come crashing down?

Despite being a starving student, I worked hockey for the love of the game but also to help get me through college. The summer league I worked was clearly for the latter. Despite the fact that many good individual players were involved, the games were not of a high caliber, and blowouts were the norm. Like most recreational leagues, the guys played to stay in shape and be with the boys, which is why what happened was so shocking.

This summer league game about which I write was between a reputed "goon" team and a team comprised of many city police officers, so despite being a fun league, the potential for trouble was there. The game was surprisingly easy-going for the most part. A competitive score was likely the cause of the uncharacteristic discipline. I was working hard to keep on top of the game to keep it that way.

Continued...