The extended National Hockey League family suffered a loss yesterday with the news of the passing of longtime lineman Dan Schachte at the age of 63.
Schachte is survived by his wife, Kim, and four children, Danny, Ian, Lauren and Maddy.
The NHL released the following statement:
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of former linesman Dan Schachte, a consummate professional, mentor of young officials and devoted family man whose three-decade career set records for US-born officials. The first American to work 2,000 NHL games, Schachte’s elite officiating earned assignment to a Canada Cup, World Cup, Olympic Games and five Stanley Cup Finals. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Kim, and his children, Dan, Lauren, Ian and Madeline, and to his former colleagues and many admirers. in the hockey community.”
Schachte was a native of Madison, WI and was also the first American-born official to work more than 2,000 NHL games. Not only did he help officiate five Stanley Cup Finals (1997, ’98, ’00, ’01, ’02) as well as the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, but he also earned a spot in the Madison Sports Hall of Fame. 2017 and the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame the following year.
He decided to call it a career from the NHL in 2012, and even had players from the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks line up to shake his hand afterward.
Following his NHL career, he would serve as Hockey East coordinator of men’s officials.
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