John Ashley (ice hockey)

John George Ashley ( born March 5, 1930 in Galt (Ontario ); † January 5, 2008 in Kitchener (Ontario) ) was a Canadian ice hockey referee in the National Hockey League ( NHL).

Career

He started his career as a hockey player in 1950 with the Toronto Maple Leafs played there but not, but came to a farm team and he played for Pittsburgh and Syracuse in the AHL. When he was sold three years later to Eddie Shores Springfield team, he withdrew. He sat a year out, once again played hockey three years and then started as a referee in one of the lower leagues in his hometown.

After only two more years he could sign his first NHL 1959 Treaty. In his first year, he worked primarily in the AHL and USHL, both as a referee and as a linesman. The subsequent twelve years, he was, however, permanently employed in the NHL.

Ashley led a total of 605 games as a referee and 17 as a linesman, a further 58 play-off games and 350 in the lower leagues. Between 1964 and 1972 he was assigned to every seventh game in a playoff round since he had an exceptionally good reputation in the NHL and the players. In the 1970/71 season, he took each of the seven games in the quarter-and semifinals and in the finals, this was a hitherto unprecedented power of an arbitrator, which was also associated with a lot of pressure.

In 1972 he ended his active career and worked as a talent scout for young referees in the NHL.

His achievements in sports were honored in 1981 with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.