Remembering Mick

I watch a LOT of ice hockey, specifically the NHL. Something I've noticed recently on the armband of the referees jerseys is the letters 'MICK', and had really begun to wonder what it meant.

A little digging led me to learning about a man named Mick McGeough, who passed away in November last year. Mick was a much-loved NHL referee, who officiated over 1,100 NHL games over 21 years, and was the last remaining official to not wear a helmet during games. It wasn't until 2006 that the NHL mandated that all on-ice officials were required to wear helmets, though many had chosen to wear them voluntarily prior to this point.

It seems as though the referees are going to be wearing the MICK armbands for the remainder of the 2018-19 season, which is a nice touch.

That's what I learned today.