Bill McCreary

[JugglingReferee]

Longtime NHL Referee Bill McCreary officiated his 1,500th NHL game tonight.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/294510

It's been a long haul," McCreary said yesterday from his Guelph home. "I really didn't think I'd be doing it this long."

Having met McCreary once, I can tell you that he is a great guy. Very confident, and is known around the NHL for his communication skills.

One of the nice touches on tomorrow's milestone evening is that McCreary got to request the officials who will work with him for his 1,500th game. The other referee will be Wes McCauley, whose late father John was a former boss of McCreary's. Working the lines will be Dan Schachte, who broke into the NHL around the same time as McCreary, and Mark Pare, another longtime official.

"The NHL was kind enough to ask for a list and they managed to get the people that were on it. It's nice, all those people have personal meaning to me."

+100 to the NHL and it's officiating department for this move. When a man contributes this much of his life, and his family endures that much away time, it is nice to see him honoured in such a way.

The article goes on to mention that 2010 is agreed to be Bill's last year. I hope he is selected to officiate the 7th game of the Stanley Cup Series.