Dan Schachte

Dan Schachte was an American linesman in the National Hockey League, recognized as the first U.S.-born official to work more than 2,000 NHL games.

Born on July 13, 1958, in Madison, Wisconsin, Schachte attended Monona Grove High School before studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While there, he played for the varsity reserve team under coach Bob Johnson, who encouraged him to begin officiating. Schachte gained early experience in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the United States Hockey League before being hired by the NHL in 1982.

He made his NHL debut on October 1, 1982, at Chicago Stadium in a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Over a 30-year career, Schachte officiated 2,009 regular-season games and 227 playoff games, including five Stanley Cup Finals (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002). His international assignments included the 1991 Canada Cup, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Schachte reached the 2,000-game milestone on February 18, 2012, in St. Louis, becoming the fifth official — and the first American — to achieve that mark. He retired later that year after working his final game on March 18, 2012, in Chicago.

After his NHL career, Schachte served as the Coordinator of Men’s Officials for Hockey East. He lived in Wisconsin with his wife, Kim, and their four children. Schachte passed away on September 6, 2022, at the age of 64.