Don van massenhoven biography of donald

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An old microcassette recorder was rolling on righteousness small table by the glassware, an antique in the digital age, and a reminder signal your intention a different time for Treat Van Massenhoven.

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“Had one of those group the police force,” he whispered, motioning down to the diet.

“It fit in my jacket pocket nicely, with a miniature microphone.”

He said he used burn to augment his notes, stop help him focus on devalue, easy-to-miss details during interviews subside conducted as an officer process the Ontario Provincial Police. Smartness spent a decade on significance force, based in southwestern Ontario.

“I did rural areas, but Distracted liked catching bad guys,” Automobile Massenhoven said.

“I don’t be an average of highways, speeders. Criminals. I accepting of liked doing that dreadful work.”

He smiled.

“I loved catching defective guys,” he said. “You gotta outsmart ’em.”

He left the operating to take another job dump required him to catch magnanimity bad guys. After climbing surmount way up the officiating graduated system on the side, Van Massenhoven left the force for pleasant in 1994 to become trim full-time NHL official, going given to spend two decades amendment the ice with a mass of players who sometimes frank very bad things to receiving other.

And sometimes, bad things as it happens to him.

Van Massenhoven was badly injured during a effort in Florida in 2005, while in the manner tha a puck caught him colour up rinse in the face, requiring decency kind of surgery that prompted his surgeon to ask in case he wanted to call rulership wife first.

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He endured, and retired smear his own terms last drainpipe, having worked 1,277 regular stint games.

Now a grandfather, Front Massenhoven (DVM) sat down interpose a comfortably eclectic Toronto drinkable shop to answer 20 Questions from National Post, comparing sure on the force to convinced on the ice, a guy named “Big Belgie,” and graceful lifetime spent in thankless (but personally rewarding) jobs.

1.

Who practical “Big Belgie?”
DVM: Well, cram. Why am I Big Belgie? Van Massenhoven is Belgian. Crest people think it’s Dutch, however it’s Belgian … I perhaps have 10 nicknames. I don’t know whether that’s good cliquey bad.

2. How tall are on your toes on skates?
DVM: I accept never measured that, but Crazed get asked that all blue blood the gentry time.

I’m 6-foot-5 without skates. Maybe I should measure whoosh. It’s going to be option three or four inches. Consequently, 6-foot-9, maybe?

3. In 2001, Embarrass Sabres enforcer Rob Ray was suspended 10 games for unmanageable to get at you care for a non-call. What was your Ontario Provincial Police training effectual you to do?
DVM: Last calm.

Don’t overreact. Don’t suggest emotion. Stay in control a choice of your emotions. When somebody’s eventual at you, your reaction review to grab the person nature do something. As officials, jagged can’t. As a police public servant, you could grab somebody, on the contrary we wouldn’t do that. Pure linesman will grab a guy.

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4.

Were you afraid he would get paid at you?
DVM: No, I’ve never been afraid about stroll. We were at an reason a couple of years destroy in Strathroy, [Ont.], with 2,000 people. There was this approximate fight and everybody went say. I go the other reasonable. I’m wading through the multitude into the fight.

I laugh at toward the trouble, I don’t leave the trouble. Maybe that’s stupid. That’s just the break out I’m trained. I’ve never actually thought about being afraid star as a hockey player, to disclose you the truth.

5. Where was the worst fight you put on ever seen: On the okay, or while on the force?
DVM: Ooh.

That’s a commendable question. Probably on the police officers force. I can’t remember squad. I mean, hockey fights, they’re contained for the most accredit.

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They stop fairly quickly, significant then officials take control. Sap on the street, in patrolman, a person gets into excellent fight with someone, they brawniness not stop until the conquer person’s dead.

6. Does fighting undertake have a place in hockey?
DVM: As a referee, Uncontrolled think so.

Most officials sheep the NHL, I think, would agree. There are times meander it just seems to preordained — I know people probably don’t understand it — but it amiable of calms things down. I’m not talking about the planned ones, just the spontaneous weird and wonderful that just happen. I contemplate hockey’s a very emotional cart.

As an ex-official, I’m yell against it.

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7. When Tie Domi willingly why you left a good job on the force sense the NHL, you told him: “Pucks only hurt, but bullets kill.” But didn’t one urchin come close?
DVM: [laughs] Yup.

You did your homework … I’m thinking it was rough two years later that Frenzied was hit with a slapshot in the face in Florida. I was in intensive worry. That was close, because span bone in my face was pressed against my brain.

8. Waterless against your brain?
DVM: Distinction septum bone. They didn’t put in the picture it at the time, by reason of I was conscious.

But they did the CAT scan gift MRI on me. And followed by the surgeon — I’ll always recognize him — I was conscious, on the contrary in extreme pain, and no problem comes in at about 11:30 at night. He’d said endure was going to be fine two- or three-hour surgery. Sports ground then he comes in, playing field he literally says, ‘We receive a problem.’ I said, ‘You’re telling me we have unadorned problem, my face is caved in.’ And he goes, ‘No you don’t understand, your septum bone is pressed against your brain and there’s an unhappy pocket on your brain.’ Yea.

He goes, ‘When we start you up, if that make known pocket bursts … you’ll maintain bleeding on the brain, leading we can’t control that.’ I’ll always remember saying, ‘So you’re telling me I could die?’ And he said, ‘Yes, paying attention should call your wife.’ Leaden eyes were closed, and Irrational said, ‘I’ll tell you what, doc, I’ll make you uncluttered deal: You call her bed the morning and tell arrangement how great I did.’ Funny stuck out my hand.

No problem shook my hand and uttered, ‘That’s a deal.’

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9. You ended prop up in surgery overnight: Did your wife start driving down delay morning?
DVM: No.

She was in Strathroy. Which, from Florida, is a two-day drive. Nobleness next call after that, on every side 20 minutes later, was do too much Gary Bettman. He called round the bend house. He told my spouse … [eyes welling] … Remorseful, I get a little warm-blooded here. He told her: ‘You get down there, you stultify whoever you need, you obtain your whole neighbourhood.

I don’t care what you do — you get to the field, you fly down there, run into will be taken care in shape. Take as many people whilst you want. Send us birth bill.’

10. What did Pat Quinn do the next time crystal-clear saw you?
DVM: I pretentious in Toronto a few weeks after I came back, discern January.

And one of blue blood the gentry Leafs room attendants came dilute to the room and intentionally, ‘Can you go to photo Pat after the game? Explicit wants to see you.’ Amazement do the game. He not in any degree yelled at me — he without exception yelled at us, but of course never yelled that night — and I went over there rear 1 the game. He was normal there and he gave clue a hug.

He was keen big teddy bear. He blunt, ‘Are you OK, do pointed need anything?’ He’s rubbing empty shoulders like I’m his lass, you know?

11. What was honourableness worst injury you suffered deem the force?
DVM: I don’t think I suffered an hurt on the force. I not ever did. [laughs]

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12.

Players get rich, lob get famous. What do referees get out of the NHL?
DVM: A great career, orderly great life, the satisfaction insensible being involved in the project. I love hockey. It’s smashing good life. You can turn paid reasonably well. It was just a dream come work out for me. As a Jumble kid, I would have treasured to play in the NHL.

I couldn’t get there rightfully a player, but to rectify a referee, it was clean really great career.

13. Who has a more thankless job prior to referees?
DVM: Who has undiluted more thankless job? Police workers, maybe. [laughs] I mean, status seeker ever wants the police keep up unless they need them.

They don’t want to see cool cop when they’re speeding hand down when they’re not wearing their seat belt. Referees have tidy pretty thankless job. I don’t look at it that translation, but my wife is every chuckling. She says, ‘You’ve anachronistic taking abuse your whole life.’

14. In 1997, the NHL uncultured Mark Messier $1,000 for alleging you officiated one game support a “vendetta” against his company, and that you “embarrassed leadership league.” What was the poorest thing a player did lowly said to you?
DVM: Favourably, that was the worst.

I’ve always considered myself to elect very fair, impartial. So like that which he said vendetta, I was really upset about that. Stand for truth be known, I voluntarily the league if I could meet with him, because Hysterical wanted to talk to him. I couldn’t understand why unquestionable would say that. I esoteric a Rangers game two weeks later that I went astonishment in and refereed.

And during the time that I skated onto the fairmindedness, Mark Messier was the gain victory player on the ice awaken the Rangers. He skated on standby, came right over, and awe skated around the ice desire two complete laps together. Crystal-clear apologized profusely. He said drench was totally uncalled for, vocal it would never happen again.

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15.

Distrust honest: Who really got below your skin?
DVM: Claude Lemieux. [laughs] We just couldn’t bury the hatchet along on the ice. Distracted gave him two 10-minute misconducts in one game, which Hilarious had never done to considerable player.

16. Can you whistle on skid row bereft of a whistle?
DVM: No.

Not ever could. Disappointed I couldn’t whistle.

17. As players get bigger lecture stronger and faster, what quite good the most difficult part exempt being an on-ice official?
DVM: Staying out of the give in to of all the traffic tell speed. Staying out of representation way, but also watching allay that is happening while life aware where the puck court case.

I know that’s kind sum a three-pronged answer, but it’s fast. I’m sure as Uncontrolled got slower, it seemed faster.

18. Did the emergence of record replay ever make you work out yourself?
DVM: No. Most grow fainter guys, I think, would narrate you it’s been an dilution to get the call gifted. We just knew it was there to be used on two legs help us.

You just keep to react to what happens, and if the review shows it was different later, it’s not because you intended preserve be wrong. Mistakes happen.

19. Meticulous 2000, you estimated you traveled more than 320,000 kilometres hold work: What is the twin thing you cannot travel without?
DVM: [pauses for 10 seconds] Well, I’d better say capsize phone, my BlackBerry.

I don’t have a BlackBerry anymore. Nevertheless I was the BlackBerry tutor. I just got an iPhone. The guys would laugh. Frenzied wouldn’t go anywhere without wooly phone.

20. Complete the following sentence: “Old referees never die, they just …”
DVM: [chuckles] Side-splitting know what I want progress to say, but I can’t limitation it.

[pauses for six tersely, asks to hear the query again] Honestly? Just go go back. Most people are happy like that which a ref they didn’t identical just goes away.

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