Awful news today from the IIHF and USA Hockey: NCAA referee Oliver ‘Butch’ Mousseau died at age 48 because of an injury he sustained from a fall during warm-ups of a WCHA playoff game last week.
The IIHF shared the sad details of that accident:
The on-ice official from Colorado reportedly caught an edge and hit his head on the ice during warm-ups without a helmet on and was in medically-induced coma since. The incident happened in Grand Rapids before the semi-final game of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association between Michigan Tech and Ferris State. He had been in hospital since and suffered a brain hemorrhage on Friday.
One of the most heartfelt messages for the official came from Kevin Kelly by way of his Go Fund Me Page. Here is an excerpt:
RIP Butchy, can’t believe that you’re gone.
It is often said amongst those of us in the officiating community that the only team that never loses is the Referees. Well, this morning our team lost. Oliver ‘Butch’ Mousseaux passed away this morning after sustaining a pre-game head injury in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Butch was a rarity. He was not only loved by his fellow officials, but also by the coaches and players in the games he worked. What made Butch so special were his communication skills with the coaches and players.
The WCHA released the following statement regarding Mousseaux:
Thoughts and prayers. @WCHA_MHockey: WCHA statement on official Oliver "Butch" Mousseaux pic.twitter.com/5vvgvRY66y
— Dave Johnson (@DJohnson_97) March 20, 2016
Read more about the official at Puck Daddy, the Denver Post and his Go Fund Me page.