Morrison, former Hockey Hall of Fame president, dies at 95

Ian "Scotty" Morrison, a former NHL referee and executive who later became chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, died Wednesday. He was 95.

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Scotty Morrison," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "A true Builder of the game, Scotty dedicated his life to hockey and helped shape the Hockey Hall of Fame's mission of celebrating excellence and preserving hockey's history.

"In addition to his lasting contributions to the Hall, Scotty also served the game with distinction as an on-ice official and respected hockey executive, bringing integrity, leadership and deep knowledge to every role he held. His impact on the game will be felt for generations.

"The NHL family sends its heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and the many people across the hockey world who will miss him."

Morrison was born in Montreal on April 22, 1930, and turned to officiating after playing junior hockey in the Montreal Canadiens organization. In 1954, at age 24, referee-in-chief Carl Voss signed Morrison, and he became the youngest referee to work an NHL game.

He left the NHL after two years to enter private business while still working part-time as a referee in the Western Hockey League. When Voss retired in 1965, Morrison returned to the NHL as its referee-in-chief, helping the League expand its pool of officials and improve their conditioning and performance. He was named vice president of officiating in 1981.

Morrison's career took a turn in 1986 when he became NHL vice president of project development and was assigned to the Hall of Fame, where he was made president. Morrison led the Hall through its move from a location at the Canadian National Exhibition to its current home in downtown Toronto that opened in June 1993.

"Scotty was known as an enthusiastic and articulate ambassador who touched the lives of hockey fans and professionals all over the world," Hockey Hall of Fame chair of the board Mike Gartner said. "Among his many contributions as an on-ice official and hockey executive, he is widely credited for providing the creativity and vision for the Hall while building a dedicated team to develop and operate a state-of-the-art museum and place of entertainment for the game of hockey."

Morrison retired in 1998, was elected to the Hall in the Builders category in 1999 and became a trustee of the Stanley Cup in 2002.