Oliver Mousseau, NCAA Hockey Referee, Dies from Injuries After Falling on Ice

NCAA hockey referee Oliver "Butch" Mousseau died Friday after suffering a head injury before a game in Michigan last week. He was 48.

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reported Mousseau's head struck the ice after he tripped during warm-ups for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff game between Ferris State and Michigan Tech. He was transported to the hospital and placed in a drug-induced coma because of brain swelling.

Tim Swiader, a friend and former WCHA linesman, told the Denver Post that Mousseau had a brain hemorrhage Friday.

Another friend, University of Denver hockey radio broadcaster Jay Stickney, told the outlet about the referee's seemingly always positive attitude.

"No matter what was going on around him, he always seemed to have a smile," Stickney said. "I don't think I'll ever find a person say a bad thing about Butch. He always had a smile, and he made you feel good when you saw him."

Mousseau began working as a USA Hockey official in 1998. He'd been with the WCHA full time since 2003 and also called games throughout the minor leagues.

WCHA supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd talked about one of his final conversations with the respected referee, as relayed by USCHO News:

"

It is fitting that one of the last things Butch said to me was, 'I'll do a great job for you today,' and said it with a smile. That was Butch in a nutshell—the consummate professional on the ice and a wonderful, positive human being. I have been involved with the WCHA for 39 years, and he was one of the best—not just at calling the game between the boards, but in his communication with players, coaches and administrators. Butch was universally respected for his work on the ice and beloved for his kind and generous spirit to all, along with his love for the great sport of hockey at all levels. He was truly a very special person, and I will miss him dearly. My heart goes out to his family.

"

Sports Illustrated noted Mousseau became the first Native American referee in NHL history when he worked a preseason game in 2001. His skates and sweater from that contest have since been displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.