John Ashley (ice hockey)

John George Ashley (March 5, 1930 – January 5, 2008) was a Canadian referee in the National Hockey League.

John Ashley
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1981
BornMarch 5, 1930
Galt, Ontario, Canada
DiedJanuary 5, 2008 (aged 77)
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
PositionLinesman
Playing career1959–1972

Early life

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Ashley was born in Galt, Ontario, and raised in Preston. He played junior hockey with the Toronto Marlies and Guelph Biltmores. In 1950, he tried out for the Toronto Maple Leafs and played on farm teams in Pittsburgh and Syracuse, New York.[1]

Career

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Ashley started his officiating career in 1959. From 1964 to 1972, John officiated every Game Seven in the Stanley Cup playoffs.[2]

During the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ashley achieved a first for NHL referees by officiating the seventh game of all three series that went the limit: a quarterfinal (Montreal vs. Boston), a semifinal (New York vs. Chicago), and the final (Montreal vs. Chicago).

John was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. Ashley was elected to the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Personal life

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Ashley died in Kitchener, Ontario, on January 5, 2008.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "John Ashley | NHLOA Alumni | NHL Officials Association". NHLOA. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  2. ^ "John Ashley". NHLOfficials.com. NHL Officials Association. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "HALL OF FAME REF DIES". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
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