McCreary reflects on incredible career on NHL Live

Thursday, 11.13.2014 / 6:44 PM
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NHL Live blog
McCreary reflects on incredible career on NHL Live

Longtime referee Bill McCreary joined NHL Live to discuss his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

McCreary will become the 16th on-ice official to be honored.

"It's so surreal," McCreary said. "To think that you're going to join the great names that are already in there, to me I don't hold myself in that class but it certainly is an honor and I'm very humbled to be part of this whole experience."

McCreary's career as an official began in 1976 as a linesman with the Ontario Hockey Association. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 3, 1984 when he worked the game between the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. He officiated 1,737 regular season games, 297 playoff games, an All-Star game and the 1998 Nagano Olympics. In addition, McCreary worked the Stanley Cup Final 15 times and broke Bill Chadwick's record of 42 games refereed in the Final.

"Whenever you're assigned a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, it's the only game going on in the world that night and it's such an honor to be selected to do that," McCreary said. "It's just incredible to know you're one of the officials working that game."