Mike Hasenfratz (June 19, 1966 – November 24, 2024) was a Canadian ice hockey referee. He worked in the National Hockey League (NHL) from the 2000–01 season until his retirement following the 2014–15 season. He wore uniform number 30 until the 2011–12 season, wearing number 2 for the remainder of his career. He retired after officiating 705 regular season games. He previously worked 18 years in the Western Hockey League (WHL), refereed at two Memorial Cups, and was a linesman at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He received the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy as the WHL's official of the year in the 1999–2000 season.
Mike Hasenfratz | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1966 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | November 24, 2024 (aged 58) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Ice hockey referee |
| Years active | 2000–2009; 2011–2014 |
| Employer | National Hockey League |
Early life
editMike Hasenfratz was born on June 19, 1966, in Regina, Saskatchewan.[1] He attended Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School in Regina, where he played golf and football.[a] He played minor ice hockey in Regina, where his father, Tony, organized tournaments.[5]
Officiating career
editHasenfratz quit playing hockey to become a referee, working games in senior ice hockey, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League (WHL).[5] He worked the 1989 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon as a linesman.[6] In 1990, he attended the annual National Hockey League (NHL) training camp for the best young officials.[7] The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association rated him as one of the top linesmen in the nation, and he was chosen to officiate at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships hosted in Saskatchewan.[6] At the 1991 championships, he worked the Soviet Union vs. United States game. During the game when he first tried to blow his whistle, nothing happened since it had frozen.[8]
Switching from being a linesman, Hasenfratz began the 1990–91 WHL season as a referee.[6] After half a season, he reverted to his former role as he felt that he could realize his dream of reaching the NHL quicker as a linesman than as a referee.[9] In 1991, he relocated to British Columbia to become a full-time official and worked western division games in the WHL.[10]
The NHL had since named Hasenfratz to its referee training program, where he worked at least one week per month under direct NHL supervision while officiating minor league games.[11] In 1993, the ten trainees, including Hasenfratz, all declined offers to be replacement referees if the NHL officials went on strike. Not wanting to be a strikebreaker, he was determined to instead earn his way into the NHL. He continued to work games in the WHL in addition to games in the International Hockey League.[12] Hasenfratz respected the strike by NHL officials, since they fought for what he wanted to have in the future.[11]
Hasenfratz refereed at the 1995 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, and the 1998 Memorial Cup in Spokane.[13][14] In 1997, the NHL dropped Hasenfratz from its trainee program. He contemplated retirement, but chose to continue in hopes of working at the 2001 Memorial Cup in Regina.[15] He refereed the 1998 WHL All-Star Game in Regina,[16] and received the Allen Paradice Memorial Trophy as the league's official of the year in the 1999–2000 season.[14]
In July 2000, Hasenfratz signed an officiating contract with the NHL, expecting to work mostly American Hockey League games for the 2000–01 season. He had worked 18 years as an official in the WHL: eight as a linesman, and ten as a referee.[15]
National Hockey League
editHasenfratz made his NHL debut during the October 21, 2000 game between the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals at the MCI Center.[17][18] His other crew members included referee Paul Stewart, and linesmen Gord Broseker and Pat Dapuzzo.[18] His first playoff assignment was Game 2 of the 2002 Western Conference Quarterfinals between the Vancouver Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings.[17][19]
Hasenfratz worked Game 3 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, which was notable for an incident between Rangers forward Sean Avery and Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur that led to an immediate adjustment of the NHL’s unsportsmanlike conduct rule.[20][21] The adjustment became known as "The Avery Rule".[22]
Prior to the start of the 2009–10 season, it was discovered that Hasenfratz had an aortic aneurysm. It devolved into an aortic dissection that required emergency surgery.[23] He had open-heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. In a subsequent surgery, excess fluid was drained near his heart which caused a collapsed lung. He declined to retire from refereeing and receive a disability pension. Upon returning to the NHL in the 2011–12 season, he changed to uniform number 2, to signify getting a second chance after two surgeries, and for having the "world's second-best job, right after playing".[23] He had previously worn uniform number 30, while number 2 was last worn by Kerry Fraser.[1][5]
After missing the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, Hasenfratz made his regular season return at the MTS Centre for the November 19, 2011 game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Winnipeg Jets.[23][24]
Hasenfratz worked his final game on March 16, 2014, between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the CONSOL Energy Center.[17][25] His crew members included referee Mike Leggo, and linesmen Tim Nowak and Derek Amell.[26] He missed the 2014–15 season due to health issues before officially retiring, after officiating 705 regular season games.[17]
Personal life and death
editHasenfratz was a third-generation police officer in his family.[15] In September 1991, he resigned as a constable with the Regina Police Service to follow a full-time career officiating ice hockey.[10] He moved to Burnaby, British Columbia, in August 1991, and appeared as an extra in a hockey fight scene in the 1992 film Stay Tuned.[27] He also briefly worked as a private investigator.[28]
His father was disappointed when Hasenfratz resigned from the police to pursue an officiating dream. He achieved the goal in July 2000, but his father died earlier in the year in February.[15] Hasenfratz moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2000, and remained in the area for the rest of his life.[5][23] He was nicknamed "Hazy" by his fellow officials, was married, and had two children.[29]
Hasenfratz died on November 24, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida, at age 58.[29]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Mike Hasenfratz". National Hockey League Officials' Association. November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Sport Shorts: Teams picked". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. September 16, 1981. p. B5.
- ^ Davis, Darrell (September 7, 1983). "Sports Unlimited: Schwann Conference". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B4.
- ^ Davis, Darrell (September 29, 1983). "Quarterbacks lead way". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B2.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Darrell (November 25, 2024). "Regina's hockey community mourns losses of referee Mike Hasenfratz, Pats champ Jim Minor". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c Vanstone, Rob (December 18, 1990). "Hasenfratz picks world junior plum". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. C1.
- ^ Drinnan, Gregg (July 6, 1990). "Around the WHL". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B2.
- ^ Drinnan, Gregg (December 27, 1990). "Skiing mishap claims life of injured Swiss forward". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. C3.
- ^ Vanstone, Rob (February 22, 1991). "Around the WHL". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B4.
- ^ a b Vanstone, Rob (September 6, 1991). "Around the WHL". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B3.
- ^ a b Vanstone, Rob (December 7, 1993). "Referee trainee program restored". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B1.
- ^ Vanstone, Rob (November 4, 1993). "Trainees decline to scab". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. C2.
- ^ "Local Flavour". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. May 12, 1998. p. B1.
- ^ a b Rocca, Taylor (November 25, 2024). "WHL mourns passing of Hasenfratz, former WHL Official of the Year". Western Hockey League. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Vanstone, Rob (July 14, 2000). "NHL rewards Hasenfratz's perseverance". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. D4.
- ^ "Give Him A Hand". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. January 15, 1998. p. B1.
- ^ a b c d "Mike Hasenfratz, Retired NHL Referee, Dies at 58". Scouting the Refs. November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b "New York Islanders–Washington Capitals–Oct 21, 2000". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Canucks 5–2 Red Wings (Apr 19, 2002) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "NHL reacts to Avery's antics, amends conduct rule". ESPN.com. April 14, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ "New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers - Apr 13, 2008 | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Avery, Martin. "Sean Avery and "The Avery Rule"". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Darrell (November 18, 2011). "A referee's return to the heartland of hockey". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets Box Score: November 19, 2011". Hockey Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Box Score: March 16, 2014". Hockey Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Today's NHL Officials–3/16/14". Scouting the Refs. March 16, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Vanstone, Rob (December 28, 1991). "WHL ref is a star". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. A10.
- ^ Blevins, Kevin (March 14, 1997). "Defence lawyers worked behind scenes". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. B12.
- ^ a b "Mike Hasenfratz – 1966–2024". National Hockey League Officials' Association. November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.