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156:. He learned to skate at the age of three years old after beating meningitis, which his sister had died from. McCreary competed with the Buffalo Tondas, Windsor Spitfires, and the Guelph Holody Platers in the SOJHL from 1973-76. After going undrafted out of junior hockey, he accepted a position at a machine shop and worked side jobs as a referee in local minor hockey games.
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Although he had previously announced that he would retire as an NHL referee at the end of the 2009-10 NHL season, he returned for the 2010-11 NHL season. The next year, he was inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame. McCreary officiated his last NHL game on April 2, 2011, in
Washington, D.C.,
168:(NHL) officials training camp in 1981 after officiating for three years. After refereeing one major junior playoff game, he was hired by Scotty Morrison for the NHL. He eventually refereed his first NHL game in 1984 at
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Selection
Committee announced that McCreary would be enshrined in the Hall of Fame with the 2014 class of inductees.
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442:"Story of the Oilers: Hanging out, hands in pockets, shirts not tucked in, goals against | Edmonton Journal"
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for the 13th year in a row. On
February 16, 2008, McCreary refereed his 1,500th NHL game in a match between the
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104:. Before retiring in 2011, McCreary officiated 1,737 regular season games, 297 playoff games, and one
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493:"Longtime NHL referee Bill McCreary built Hall of Fame career on consistency"
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551:"Guelph's Bill McCreary built Hall of Fame referee career on consistency"
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394:"INTERVIEW WITH RETIRED OFFICIALS BILL MCCREARY AND DON KOHARSKI"
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McCreary and his wife Mary Ann have one daughter together.
525:"National Hockey League Officials Association - Articles"
632:. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 21, 2009
704:"Guelph Sports Hall of Fame announces 2011 inductees"
140:, where he officiated the gold medal game each time.
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for most of his refereeing career. He worked fifteen
576:"2010 Olympic ice hockey on-ice officials announced"
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245:'s career shutout record with his 104th shutout.
510:CTV.ca | NHL referees anxious to get back to work
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730:"Referee Bill McCreary ready for career finale"
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237:On December 22, 2009, McCreary officiated when
757:"2014 HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED"
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148:McCreary was born on November 17, 1955, in
108:. McCreary wore uniform number 7 since the
679:"Ref McCreary could come back next season"
420:"Referee Bill McCreary earned his stripes"
192:won by Canada vs USA by the score of 5-2.
210:, McCreary was selected to officiate the
653:"Ref McCreary honored to earn 2010 spot"
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782:"Referee celebrates end of NHL career"
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549:Whyno, Stephen (November 23, 2014).
651:LeBrun, Pierre (December 7, 2009).
467:"CANADA WINS GOLD, SAKIC NAMED MVP"
418:Hornby, Lance (November 12, 2014).
371:"Taking the bite out of refereeing"
13:
369:Shoalts, David (October 7, 2002).
317:Engel, Erika (December 23, 2018).
292:. NHLOfficials.com. Archived from
257:, a game won by the Capitals 5-4.
44:Bill McCreary at the 2010 Olympics
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755:Faas, Catherine (June 23, 2014).
234:, including the Gold Medal Game.
834:National Hockey League officials
677:LeBrun, Pierre (April 6, 2010).
601:"McCreary, O'Halloran for final"
392:Rory Boylen (October 23, 2013).
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603:. 2010-02-28. Archived from
444:. 2010-01-18. Archived from
190:men's hockey gold medal game
89:(born November 17, 1955, in
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199:, McCreary worked building
164:McCreary was invited to an
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344:"McCREARY ELECTED TO HHOF"
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182:2002 Winter Olympic Games
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319:"A career among legends"
126:1996 World Cup of Hockey
260:On June 23, 2014, the
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99:National Hockey League
710:. September 22, 2011
499:. November 11, 2014.
373:. The Globe and Mail
228:2010 Winter Olympics
203:to make ends meet.
188:, he officiated the
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473:. February 24, 2002
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262:Hockey Hall of Fame
251:Washington Capitals
216:Toronto Maple Leafs
197:2004–05 NHL lockout
178:Washington Capitals
176:, then home of the
31:Hockey Hall of Fame
497:huffingtonpost.com
212:Stanley Cup Finals
174:Landover, Maryland
118:Stanley Cup Finals
110:1994–95 NHL season
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398:thehockeynews.com
106:NHL All-Star Game
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19:Ice hockey player
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97:) is a former
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195:During the
112:and wore a
808:Categories
611:2010-02-28
586:2010-02-28
535:2008-03-06
452:2018-10-04
300:2006-08-21
276:References
144:Early life
128:, and the
56:1955-11-17
761:nhlpa.com
232:Vancouver
683:ESPN.com
657:ESPN.com
218:and the
72:, Canada
734:NHL.com
580:NHL.com
154:Ontario
102:referee
95:Ontario
70:Ontario
630:cbc.ca
471:whl.ca
241:broke
160:Career
150:Guelph
124:, the
120:, the
114:helmet
91:Guelph
66:Guelph
33:, 2014
222:. In
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768:2018
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716:2019
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253:and
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130:1998
50:Born
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206:In
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