LOVELAND, Colo. – Numerous people from all levels of the hockey world are sad today. We have lost one of the really good ones. Oliver Butch Mousseau, passed away this morning from a head injury he sustained during a pregame skate in Grand Rapids, Mich. Friday, March 18th.
Mousseau and the rest of the officiating crew took to the ice at Van Andel Arena sans helmets for a quick skate before the beginning of the WCHA playoff game between Ferris State and Michigan Tech. According to witnesses, Butch was skating over to the other officials with his hands in his pockets and when he fell and had no way to break his fall. He suffered a severe head injury and was taken by ambulance to St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Mousseau’s wife, Mcaire McNamee Mousseau, along with other family members had maintained vigil for the past week waiting for signs of improvement that sadly did not come. The injury to his brain was eventually too much for even this strong man to overcome.
Mousseau is the second official that the ECHL has tragically lost this season. On November 17, linesman Camden Nuckols succumbed to an undisclosed illness. Nuckols, just 25 years-old, also officiated youth hockey in Orlando.
Butch was one of the most loved people to be encountered in all of hockey. He was always smiling and whether he knew you or not – there was a kind word or a friendly nod.
Be it player, coach, fan, media member, or fellow official he was respected and admired by all as exemplified by an occurrence a couple years ago during a playoff contest between the Colorado Eagles and the Idaho Steelheads.
Eagles defenseman Isaac Smeltzer’s collision with the referee, Andrew Welk, caused Welk to leave the game. Veteran official, Butch Mousseau was given the orange referee stripes and an amazing thing happened. Not once in the course of the rest of the game was the chant that is the scourge of the minor league hockey “Hey Ref – you suck!” heard in the Budweiser Event Center with Butch Mousseau making the calls.
After the contest Colorado Eagles’s Coach, Chris Stewart, who has been known to voice a strong differences of opinion with the officials over the years, had nothing but positive things to say about Butch’s work.
”I was very happy with the way Butch (Mousseau) did – I thought he did a really good job,” said Coach Stewart. “But you never like to see a referee or a linesman or anybody from any team get hurt – it’s just unfortunate, but we happened to have somebody here to fill in and do a good job,” he added.
Whether it was an ECHL game, a college hockey contest, or a Saturday afternoon men’s league game at Boulder Valley Ice, Mousseau always demonstrated the same level of professionalism and just plain love of the game of hockey as well as all those who played it.
You will be missed..
Oliver “Butch” Mousseau Photo by Terry Sanford
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