Retired Ref Passes Away

Former National Hockey League Referee and Supervisor of Officials Mr. Art Skov passed away peacefully on April 19, 2009 at the age of 80yrs.

No one likes someone who blows the whistle, but it was pretty difficult not to like former NHL referee Art Skov.

The genial Skov, 80, died Sunday after suffering through declining health in recent years. "He was a real players' referee," said retired NHL linesman Matt Pavelich, who worked many a game with his fellow Windsorite. "He did his job well and he was well respected by everyone in the game. I don't know if I've ever heard someone saw anything bad about Art."

Skov broke into the NHL in 1956 and officiated 1,023 NHL games before retiring in 1975 having established himself as the league's top referee. His philosophy of officiating, which was heavily influenced by the legendary Red Storey, was a simple one. "A referee's job is to stay in the background," Skov said in an interview with the Windsor Star in the early 1990s.

"The best thing you can say about a referee is when the game's over, the players have to think twice to remember who worked it. As long as they have to think about it a bit, then you know you've done a good job.''

After retiring, Skov ran a trophy store on Wyandotte Street West and was involved with many local charities and was a prominent supporter of the Essex-Kent Boys Golf Tournament. However, hockey was Skov's first love. After his playing career, which included a year with the Windsor Spitfires in 1946-47, Skov began honing his skills as a linesman in the IHL.

But there was always a lot of player left in Skov, whose younger brother Glen played in the NHL with Detroit, Chicago and Montreal. That's why the playoffs always got his juices flowing as an official. "I loved the playoffs," Skov recalled. "You'd get off a plane in a city the night before a game, and you could smell the tension in the air. You were uptight before a game too, sure. You knew you had to perform at your best, better than you'd been all year.''

Pavelich worked many a Stanley Cup Final's game with his friend and said the secret to Skov's ability to handle the big occasion was his personality. "He was always so calm," Pavelich said. "He had such an understanding of the game and the players. I think his maturity had something to do with it. "A lot of officials, myself included, could be hotheads. He had a way of talking to the players and cooling things down. "That's why he had such a great career."

It was those people skills and Skov's coolness that made him the NHL's first choice to handle the finals in the spring of 1974 between Boston and Philadelphia. When he skated out for Game 6, which proved to be the series clincher for the Flyers' first cup, Skov got a standing ovation from the home crowd.

For his outstanding career, Skov was elected to the Windsor-Essex Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Art was the beloved husband of the late Patricia [March 13, 2009] and loving father of Brian, Barry and wife Erin.

He was the cherished grandpa of Patrick and Katie. Dear brother of Glen and Shirley Skov, Elmer and Annie Skov.

He wasn predeceased by his brothers Pete and Eric, sisters Lily and Edie.

Donations to the Windsor Goodfellows would be appreciated by the Family.