Sports
Matt Pavelich, the first linesman inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, dies at 92
Matt Pavelich worked 19 straight Stanley Cup Finals and became the first linesman in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He died at 92, the Hall announced Saturday.
Matt Pavelich, the first linesman ever inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, has died. He was 92. The Hall of Fame announced his death on Saturday.
Pavelich spent 23 seasons on the ice in the NHL. He worked 1,727 regular-season games and 245 playoff games.
His run in the biggest games was remarkable. He officiated in 19 straight Stanley Cup Finals from 1961 to 1979.
From the ice to the Hall
After he stopped working games, Pavelich became the league's supervisor of officials. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.
"A true icon"
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called him a true icon of the profession. "No linesman in the history of the National Hockey League was more universally respected nor more widely admired than Matt Pavelich," Bettman said.
"Pavelich personified professionalism and integrity while possessing a warm personal touch that enabled him to develop working relationships with players and coaches," Bettman added.
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