By Pat Payton

GUELPH - It appears that the 2019-20 season is going to be Scott Driscoll’s last hurrah in the National Hockey League.

After 28 years as an NHL linesman, the former St. Marys Lincolns’ defenceman (1985-89) planned to retire at the end of the season. He was hoping to work three more regular-season games to reach 1,850, but the Coronavirus pandemic abruptly cut the season short. The 52-year-old Seaforth native has also officiated in 185 playoff games.

When reflecting back to the Jr. ‘B’ Lincolns and playing four seasons as a teenager in the Stonetown, Driscoll says he has a lot of fond memories. He also played on a lot of good teams, stocked with good players, and he made many life-long friendships.

Just a few teammates during his Lincs’ days included: Jeff Shipley, Scott Garrow, Steve Coultes, Dan Bylsma, Bob Boughner, Mike Stewart, Phil Carter, Dave Doyon, Brett Seguin, Trent Andison, Pat Jackson and Jeff McClenaghan.

“First of all, I think of all the friendships and relationships with the people I met, whether it was teammates or management and guys like (long-time Lincolns’ GM) Angie Nigro,” Driscoll said during a recent interview with the Independent.

Introduced to Will Norris

Nigro put Driscoll in contact with a few key people in hockey, and it helped pave his way to a big-league career as an NHL linesman.

“It was during my final season (1988-89) in St. Marys, and I had mentioned to Angie that I wanted to carry on with the officiating,” he recalled. “I had been doing it since I was 12 years old in Seaforth. He happened to know (former NHL linesman) Will Norris, who was then the director of officiating for the OHA.

“Willy attended one of our Lincolns games. Angie knew him from his days with the Buffalo Sabres and Angie put a bug in Willy’s ear about me. Willy talked to me after the game, and recommended that I get into the OHA’s referees school that upcoming summer which I did.

“It was kind of funny. Willy’s a smaller stature linesman who worked in the NHL for 18 years. Angie told him, ‘we’ve got a kid out here on the ice who would like to progress in officiating. He’s that kid over there, No. 6.’ The story goes that Will looked at Angie and said, ‘look at the size of him. Give me two or three years and I’ll have him in the NHL.’”

Three years after he attended the OHA referees’ school, Driscoll was working games in the NHL. His debut was Oct. 10, 1992, with the Islanders playing the Bruins.

“I’m proud of the fact that there are four former Lincolns in the NHL right now,” he pointed out. “The other three are Steve Miller, Tyson Baker and Kyle Flemington. I think there’s 12 or 13 guys who played in the GOJHL, small-town kids who have gone to officiate in the NHL.”

He says former Lincs’ captain Tyson Kielt is another ex-player attempting to make his way to the big leagues.

“I know I owe everything I have to hockey and officiating,” Driscoll says. “My dad (Ron) used to say that you meet the same people on the way down as you did on the way up, so I’ve always tried to treat people the way they should be treated. That’s where I get my talking ability . . . from my dad.”

Officials work as a team

Driscoll says officiating is like playing the game of hockey, you work as a team with your two referees and fellow linesman.

“It’s that camaraderie, and it’s team work on the ice that makes you successful,” he says. “The four of us take the ice as a team.

“I’ve officiated in over 2,000 games and no two games have been exactly alike. There’s always challenges, and highs and lows. But I don’t know if people realize that the four officials have to work together as a team, too.”

Driscoll admits to being “a talker,” so he’s had no problem communicating with players, coaches and media personnel who are at ice-level during games.

“When you’re between the benches during a commercial time-out, I’ll talk to anybody about anything,” he said with a laugh. “A lot of us came from small towns in North America; you are friendly because that’s how you grew up.

“It’s not always easy because you have coaches and players sometimes yelling at you. I wouldn’t say that they’re my friends, but I like to think they respect the job that I do.”

There were some funny moments as well, he recalled. One of the best “one-liners” he heard came from former Chicago Blackhawks' coach Joel Quennville. Quennville told a referee that he should go find the arena manager and give him $5. When the confused referee asked why, the coach responded, “that’s what they charge for public skating, half the game is over and you still haven’t called a penalty yet!”

Driscoll said Maple Leafs’ star Mitch Marner fired a zinger his way one night this season. Marner asked the linesman, ‘will we see you a couple of more times this year?’ And I said ‘no, just once more,’ and he said ‘thank God!’ But then he winked and smiled. After my final game in Toronto, Mitch sent a stick down to our room. He’s a great kid.”

Second World War history buff

During his 28 years as an NHL linesmen, Driscoll never had any trouble keeping busy filling spare time on days when he was on the road.

“I took the advice of Will Norris, and he told me to take advantage of the cities you’re in,” he said. “If I stayed in my room, I was watching a war movie or reading a war book. We are very fortunate to have the NHL pay for our travel to some of the greatest cities in North America. You just can’t stay in your hotel room all day and do nothing. I remember being in New York one day with a rookie linesman, and we just went everywhere in the city.

“From a war history standpoint, a couple of months ago I was in Pittsburgh and I travelled out to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. I met a veteran from D-Day and talked to him. And in Calgary, I met a veteran who I got very close to. I would do stuff like that. I tended to have a purpose when I was in cities, and there were some pretty amazing things I was able to do over the years.”

Guelph residents, Scott and his wife Coleen have three children, Ryan, 24, Danielle, 21, Devon, 19. Devon played in the Huron-Perth Lakers ‘AAA’ system, and also tried out with the Lincolns a couple of years ago.

Devon is now a hockey official himself. “Hopefully, he might follow in my footsteps,” his dad says.