Call it a love of hockey.
Sixty-year-old Murray Meehan has been officiating hockey for just under five decades.
He started reffing peewee and squirts games when he was just 13 years old.
Meehan played for the Sault High Blue Devils hockey team from 1979 to 1981 and played adult hockey up to age 40.
For the past 20 years he has continued to lace up the skates, but not as a player, instead it's to referee.
"I worked in the CCHA in the '80s and worked in the NOJHL for a lot of years. I still work in the USA hockey organizations, MHSAA and men's hockey leagues," Meehan said.
Meehan has also been the head of scheduling for Sault Area Hockey for around two decades.
Eventually Meehan will hang up the skates for good and become more of a spectator. That is when a younger generation will need to take over, but there is currently a shortage of refs in all sports.
One Eastern U.P. School District is hoping to get school-aged children interested.
Newberry High School recently approved an elective program to teach reffing.
Meehan is all for it no matter what the sport, but for hockey, he believes refs need to start young like he did.
"We want them to start reffing early like around 12 or 13 years old...starting at the squirts and the peewee hockey level and then they gradually work their way up. Just give it a shot. We need young kids in every sport, give back to the community in a sport they may have played in," he explained.
Hockey is a unique sport to ref, however.
"First of all, you cannot ref without knowing how to skate! The best parts of the game of hockey are actually two things. Learning how to skate on a thin blade. Got to learn that even before wanting to ref the game of hockey," stated Meehan.
"I always used to give heck to the guys I grew up with who reffed basketball and football, anybody can do those games. I'm not taking anything away from those guys because they are very good at what they do, but hockey is unique because you have to learn how to skate before anything."
However, with parents, coaches and players getting more vocal during games, Meehan says reffing is not for everybody.
"There is not just a huge struggle to get refs...but also to keep them. The young refs do not have thick skin like the seasoned refs so sometimes they decide it's not for them," continued Meehan.
Meehan gives praise to some of the crew members who officiate games with him.
"I'm only 60. Dale Cryderman (another ref) is older than me and a great official I work with. Alan TenNyke too...another go-to guy," expressed Meehan.
Meehan's twin brother Myles also refs and he say he's a great official.
When asked who is better, Meehan chuckled, "I can't go there. You would ask me something like that!"
Eventually, Meehan will have to call it quits, but he isn't ready yet.
"I have my buddies every year ask me when am I going to retire. You know why I am still doing it? It's because I can. I have been lucky enough to not have injuries to stop me, plus I wouldn't do it if I didn't like doing it. The day that I am really going to be bummed out or mad at myself is the day I cannot do it anymore," concluded Meehan.
