Bill Chadwick

Bill Chadwick
Bill Chadwick
Born	William Leroy Chadwick (1915-10-10)October 10, 1915 Manhattan,New York, U.S.
Died	October 24, 2009(2009-10-24)(aged 94) Cutchogue,New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	FormerNHLreferee Broadcaster
Honors	Hockey Hall of Fame(1964)

William Leroy "The Big Whistle" Chadwick(October 10, 1915 – October 24, 2009) was the first US-bornrefereeto serve in theNational Hockey League(NHL). Despite being blind in his right eye, his on-ice officiating career spanned the greater part of the 1940s and 1950s, during which he pioneered the system of hand signals for penalties which is now used in allhockeygames internationally. He later was a popular broadcaster for theNew York Rangerson radio and television.

Amateur hockey playing career

Born inManhattan,New York City, he attendedJamaica High School.While playing as acenterfor a Metropolitan Amateur Hockey League All-Star team atMadison Square Gardenin 1935, he was struck in the right eye by an errantpuckduring a line change against a team fromBoston.Even though thedoctorsatManhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospitalweren't able to restore vision to his right eye, he continued to play the sport with theNew York Roversof theEastern Amateur Hockey League.

NHL officiating pioneer

Chadwick was encouraged to become a referee by his former Rovers' coach,Tommy Lockhart.His first experience as an on-ice official was in a Rovers game in March 1937, when he substituted for the scheduled referee who was stuck in asnowstorm.His work in the amateur circuit caught the attention of then-NHL presidentFrank Calder,who hired him as the league's first American-born linesman in 1939. The first professional match Chadwick worked was between theMontreal CanadiensandNew York Americansat The Garden.

After one year of service in the NHL, he was promoted to referee, eventually becoming the first one to use hand signals during games in the early 1940s. The system he developed was adopted by the NHL in 1956, one year after his retirement. During his fifteen seasons as a referee, he worked over 900 regular season contests and a record 42Stanley Cup Finalsmatches 13 of them series deciders. He became the fifth on-ice official, the first American-born, to be inducted into theHockey Hall of Famein 1964.

"The Big Whistle"

He has been elected to both theHockey Hall of Fameand theUnited States Hockey Hall of Fame.Chadwick spent 14 seasons as a hockey color commentator both on radio and television for theNew York Rangers.From 1967–72, he worked on radio withMarv Albert,and in 1972 moved to television broadcasts onWOR-TV,Channel 9, and theMSG Network.His 1972–73 partner wasSal Marchiano,and from 1973 to 1981 he was paired withJim Gordon.

Death

He died on October 24, 2009, at the age of 94.

See also

• List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics fromLegends of Hockey
• The Big Whistle' passes away at age 94New York Rangers, Saturday, October 24, 2009.
• An NHL Legend--Bill Chadwick DiesFischler, Stan. Game On! (Madison Square Garden blog), Saturday, October 24, 2009.
• An Appreciation of 'The Big Whistle'Halligan, John. New York Rangers, Sunday, October 25, 2009.
• 'Big Whistle,' Dead at 94Klein, Jeff Z. Sunday's News of Hockey, 10/25/09: Booth Out of Hospital; Chadwick,Slap Shot(The New York Timeshockey blog), Sunday, October 25, 2009.
• Goldstein, Richard (October 27, 2009)."Bill Chadwick, Hockey Referee and Broadcaster, Dies at 94".New York Times.