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Red Storey’s Whistle
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Red Storey’s Whistle
by Garth Vaughan
Red Storey
Red Storey was the most colorful referee ever to officiate for the NHL.
He was chief referee from 1950 until he quit in 1959 because NHL President
Clarence Campbell wouldn’t back him on an officiating decision. Red was
inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967, and given the
Order of Canada by Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn on April 29, 1992. His
three-touchdown fourth quarter as a Toronto Argos player against the Winnipeg
Blue Bombers in the 1938 Grey Cup gave him an induction into the Canadian
Sports Hall of Fame. He proudly wears two Hall of Fame gold bands on his
left and right ring fingers and an Order of Canada lapel pin wherever
he goes. Since retirement, he has refereed over 2000 charity games, and
given more than 3000 speeches at fund raising dinners. One of the most
recent of those was in Windsor on March 3 when he attended the Ninth Annual
Birthplace of Hockey Banquet. As all 350 people who attended know, he
had an accident in the Halifax International Airport when he tripped over
the foot of one of a number of young hockey players, in transit, who recognized
him and sought his autograph. He suffered a severe nose bleed and black
eye as a result and required hospital treatment before and after the banquet,
to control the bleeding. Being the trooper that he is, he addressed the
banquet crowd briefly anyway. His injury required him to remain in Windsor
for two additional days before he was allowed to fly home.
Dilly Whistle 1920s
He made a visit to the Hockey Museum and was fascinated to see the silver
"Dilly Whistle" used by Frank Poole as he refereed in the Annapolis
Valley Senior League in the 1920-30s, and the whistle used by Walter Stephens
in the 1940-50s. I happened to remark that he must have an old whistle
stashed away in his bureau drawer that he wouldn’t mind donating to us
to add to our collection. He paused and then said, "How did you know
it’s in my bureau drawer?" My response was, "Because that’s
where we commonly put our treasures so that the burglars will know where
to find them when they break into our homes!" Red eventually got
back to his home and his wife Bunny in Montreal and as a result of our
visit to the museum, he forwarded to me his whistle, which to my amazement,
is the only whistle he ever used in his nine years in the NHL.
Red Storey’s Whistle
Now that’s what I call a real "hockey treasure" and "gift-supreme"
from one fine gentleman, Windsor’s newest friend and member of the Birthplace
of Hockey Hall of Fame, Canadian Sports Legend, Red Storey. Along with
the whistle, he also sent a cheque for $200.00 to help out with museum
expenses.
We have twenty copies of his delightful Canadian ‘best-seller’ RED’S
STORY, at the Hockey Museum which we intend to sell for him to the first
to come, @ $20.00 each. The money goes to the Red Storey Meals for Children
Fund which he and fellow members of the Kiwanas Club of Montreal operate
for school children. Contact
us if you wish to purchase one.
Bakelite Whistle 1940s
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