Pat Dapuzzo
Encyclopedia
Pat Dapuzzo is a retired National Hockey League
linesman
, who wore uniform number 60. He officiated in the NHL from 1985–2008 Dapuzzo grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where he went to Franklin Elementary School and attended St. Bridget's Church. As a boy, he could often be seen playing roller hockey
on the street by the church with his friends. A great mystery to the people who knew him growing up in New Jersey was where he learned to skate well enough to officiate in the NHL. His officiating career began in the 1984–85 NHL season, only six years removed from graduating high school. He retired after the 2007–08 NHL season, during which he was severely injured on February 9 when he was struck in the face with an ice skate. The accident occurred when the Philadelphia Flyers
' Steve Downie
, during the course of being checked into the boards, accidentally struck Dapuzzo in the face, causing ten different fractures in his face and cutting his nose from his face, which required forty stitches to reattatch. The injuries caused by the contact the skate and skate blade would have been prevented if Dapuzzo had been wearing a visor at the time.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
linesman
Official (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an...
, who wore uniform number 60. He officiated in the NHL from 1985–2008 Dapuzzo grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where he went to Franklin Elementary School and attended St. Bridget's Church. As a boy, he could often be seen playing roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
on the street by the church with his friends. A great mystery to the people who knew him growing up in New Jersey was where he learned to skate well enough to officiate in the NHL. His officiating career began in the 1984–85 NHL season, only six years removed from graduating high school. He retired after the 2007–08 NHL season, during which he was severely injured on February 9 when he was struck in the face with an ice skate. The accident occurred when the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' Steve Downie
Steve Downie
Steve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, during the course of being checked into the boards, accidentally struck Dapuzzo in the face, causing ten different fractures in his face and cutting his nose from his face, which required forty stitches to reattatch. The injuries caused by the contact the skate and skate blade would have been prevented if Dapuzzo had been wearing a visor at the time.