NHL Referee who Officiated 700 Plus Games Sadly Passes Away at the Age of 58
PUBLICATION
Tom Banks
November 25, 2024 (11:52)
The NHL have unfortunately seen many key figures pass in the last few years, and now a former official of over 700 games in Mike Hasenfratz has unfortunately passed.
While the role of an NHL official is a highly overlooked one, the difference between a good, respected official on the ice and a bad one can make or break an NHL game for the players and the fans.
In today's NHL, the officials often face plenty of backlash, and while things are never perfect on the ice, it's safe to say that in recent years we've seen much more consistent refereeing from the on ice officials.
One of those good ones is Mike Hasenfratz, who officiated in over 700 games between 2000 and 2014, before retiring as one of the most respected officials the league had seen in quite some time.
Unfortunately, on Monday, it was announced that the 58-year old had passed away, with the entire NHL world coming together to mourn his passing.
In the PR post announcing the passing, the league had this to say about Hasenfratz' unfortunate passing:
The NHL mourns the passing of referee Mike Hasenfratz, who officiated over 700 NHL games from 2000-01 to 2013-14. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the many colleagues he worked alongside throughout his career in hockey.
The Saskatchewan native was one of the most respected and revered officials in the NHL during his time with the league, and will be sadly missed by those that knew him.
We take this time to also send condolences to the friends, family and former colleagues of Hasenfratz, and we hope that in this dark, heartbreaking time, they can find some joy in the memories that he brought to them over the years.
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