Mick McGeough, NHL referee for 21 seasons, dies at 62

REGINA, Saskatchewan (AP) - Former NHL referee Mick McGeough has died at 62.

The NHL said in a statement Saturday that McGeough died Friday night in Regina. A page set up on the Go Fund Me website to support his family said he had a stroke a week ago.

McGeough worked 21 seasons from 1987 through 2008, refereeing 1,083 regular-season games and 63 playoff games. He was one of the last referees to officiate without a helmet. Most recently, he worked as an NHL officiating supervisor

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called him "one of the league's top referees" whose "passion for the game shone through on a nightly basis." Bettman added in a statement that McGeough earned leaguewide respect for his "unique style that that combined humility and humor with decisiveness and fairness."

He is survived by his wife, Angie, and five children - Jared, Luke, Kara, Karlie and Isaac.