In Praise of A Referee’s Life

As a youngster, I would often see Ron Wicks jogging through our neighbourhood and, on occasion, skating laps at the Memorial Arena in Brampton. Ron’s local presence made him a vicarious connection for me to the game I loved and the League I aspired to cover as a broadcaster.

Wicks was a fixture on the ice as one of the NHL’s most respected officials from the beginning of the expansion era to his retirement in 1986, when he left the game as the record holder for most career games officiated.

“What stories he must have,” I would wondrously contemplate as Ron pounded the pavement, preparing himself for his next NHL assignment. I imagined his encounters with legendary players like Howe, Orr, and Hull (and later Gretzky); the menacing confrontations with coaches from Blake and Imlach to Cherry and Arbour; the mayhem he was responsible for controlling at intimidating venues like the Philadelphia Spectrum and Boston Garden; the grandeur and spectacle of being under the bright lights at the Montreal Forum, Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and Madison Square Garden in New York.

Now, with his new book, A Referee’s Life, Ron is a conduit for all hockey fans to the golden era of the game in which he played such an integral role.

Wicks’s decision to chronicle his distinguished officiating career in A Referee’s Life turns out to be one of his best calls ever.

Chris Cuthbert

Broadcaster CTV/TSN; Sportscaster of the Year, 2004, Sports Media Canada.

Gemini award winner, Best Broadcaster, 1998.

Best Sports Play-by-Play or Analyst, 2006.

Ron Wicks made the tough calls at critical times. I should know, as he gave me many opportunities to work on my penalty-killing skills at Maple Leaf Gardens. His record of 1,067 professional games speaks for itself. A true measure of a successful person is what they give back. Ron is tops in this category as well. I have witnessed his voluntary charity hours, his willingness to lace up the skates to referee countless alumni fundraising games and even take time to be an instructor at my Oldtimer’s Hockey Clinic. My guys enjoyed his stories and I know you will too.

Ron Ellis

Director, Public Affairs and Assistant to the President, Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, Ontario.

Toronto Maple Leafs star forward.

Member of the 1967 Stanley Cup-winning team, and an integral part of Team Canada’s win in the 1972 Summit Series.