Referee passes away from head injury during warmups of WCHA Final Five

By @MichaelCaples –

According to posts on the Facebook group created to support him, Oliver “Butch” Mousseaux has passed away.

The Grosse Pointe native had been in a medically-induced coma at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids ever since he suffered a head injury during warm-ups at the WCHA Final Five semifinals at Van Andel Arena last Friday.

“We are saddened beyond belief by the tragic passing of Oliver ‘Butch’ Mosseau,” said WCHA Commissioner Bill Robertson in a statement. “Words cannot express the depth of sorrow we feel, or the sympathy the WCHA, our member institutions and fellow officials extend to Butch’s wife, Macaire, their children, Sam (SJ), Abbie and Olivia, and the rest of the Mousseau family. At the end of the day, hockey is just a game. It is a special game because of the people involved, and Butch was one of the all-time greats who left an indelibly positive impact upon everyone whom he came in contact with. The WCHA is, and always will be, a better league because of Butch’s involvement.”

Mousseaux, a Colorado resident, was a longtime ref at the college and junior hockey levels. His officials’ uniform and his skates are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, as Mousseaux was the first Native American to work a game in the NHL.

“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,” commented WCHA Supervisor of Officials Greg Shepherd. “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.”