Sam Sisco honoured

His career as a referee spanned six decades, but Sam Sisco always remained the teacher.

Whether it was teaching and coaching high school for three decades, serving as a supervisor of officials from the National Hockey League to the Ontario Hockey Association or making the calls on the ice, Sisco was always striving to get the best out of others.

The 75-year-old Sisco will be honoured Saturday as one of six new inductees to the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame dinner at the Caboto Club.

I feel I was very lucky, Sisco said. I look at all the people in the City of Windsor that have done so much in athletics and I feel honoured.

Like most kids, Sisco wanted to be a hockey player growing up in Windsor, but Assumption high school coach Rev. Ron Cullen tried to be honest with him.

Father Cullen cut me from the high school team, Sisco said. I couldn't skate well enough. He kicked around for a couple more seasons playing junior B in Blenheim.

"I was often a healthy scratch", Sisco said.

He even spent a little time with the senior A Windsor Bulldogs.

"I played 25 games for the Windsor Bulldogs, but mostly on the road because they didn't have enough players", Sisco said.

That's when he decided to exchange his jersey for referee stripes and he never forgot Fr. Cullen's words.

I liked the game, so I decided to become a referee, Sisco said. I wanted to stay on the ice and as a referee, I was on for 60 minutes and I'd have to skate better.

He started doing church leagues and minor hockey, but quickly moved up to the International Hockey League where he called 10 Turner Cup finals, which included calling the seventh and deciding game five times.

He would referee NCAA games and OUAA games, but never looked to go higher because of his job as a teacher.

"My teaching was my most important profession", Sisco said.

He coached Herman to a pair of WSSA finals and the team featured a pair of future NHLers in Rick Kehoe and Tommy Williams.

But in 1976, while still on the ice, Sisco opted to become a supervisor of officials.

"That's the part I really enjoyed", Sisco said. "On the ice, I received so much help and I wanted to give back help to officials to helps them get to the next level."

From the OHA to junior C and B up to the OHL and the NHL, Sisco had a saying when trying to teach young refs.

"You had to step on their shoes without ruining the shine", Sisco said.

He retired from the OHL at the end of last season and was named co-winner of the Bill Long Award for his 21 years of service to the league.

He's touched many over the years and his biggest fear is forgetting someone in his six-minute acceptance speech.

"There's so many people to thank and you don't want to miss anyone", said Sisco, who has helped Club 240 and the Goodfellows for decades. "I'll do my best. I owe so much to my wife [Beverley] and family [sons Ross, Sam and Joe and daughter Maria]."

The NHLOA and its Members would like to congratulate Sam on this well-deserved honor

Source: Jim Parker, The Windsor Star