Bruce Hood

Hood started officiating local hockey in Milton, Ontario in 1959 at the age of 23, and over the following five seasons he would go on to reach the following leagues: Ontario Hockey Association, the International Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, the Eastern Pro Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, and finally the American Hockey League.

The native of Campbellville, Ontario (now part of the town of Milton) worked as a referee for the National Hockey League for 21 years from 1963 to 1984. He made his NHL debut in 1965 at the old Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Instrumental in the formation of the NHL Officials Association (NHLOA) in 1969, Hood was the last referee to officiate in all of the “Original Six” buildings.

He left the ice with some impressive numbers for his era, having worked a total of 1,033 NHL Regular Season Games and 157 NHL Playoffs Games. He was the first referee to reach the 1,000 NHL games milestone and was also selected during his journey with the NHL to officiate three NHL All-Star Games and three Canada Cup Series. Hood worked several Stanley Cup Finals and was on the ice during Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals when Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr scored the Cup-winning goal 40 seconds into overtime. Orr was tripped moments later and the picture of Orr flying through the air became one of hockey’s most iconic moments—Hood’s left hand can be seen on the famous picture at the bottom right.

Following his retirement, Hood became the first professional referee to work the 1985 World Championships hosted in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Eager to teach and improve the officiating world, Hood operated developmental camps for hockey officials (referee schools) for eighteen years. His passion for officiating and advocacy for safe hockey and strong officiating standards led him to develop the first Official’s Situation Handbook. He also designed a successful line of officiating equipment, much of which is still used or inspired modern designs.

After his officiating days were over, Hood operated a series of local travel agencies. He also served as vice-chair of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario and president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agents. From 2000 to 2002, he was appointed as Air Travel Complaints Commissioner. He authored two best-sellers—Calling the Shots (1988) and The Good of the Game (1989).

His contributions to the world of officiating were recognized in November 2017 when Hood was inducted into the Milton Sports Hall of Fame in the builder category. Bruce Hood passed away on January 5, 2018, after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer.