A friend texted me the news while I was driving back from the Avalanche’s optional skate Friday. Butch Mousseau, the Colorado hockey referee who has his NHL striped jersey and skates on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, died of a brain hemorrhage in Grand Rapids, Mich. Mousseau, who is of American Indian descent, tripped last Friday during warmups in an NCAA playoff game and hit his head on the ice. His hands were in his pockets. His brain swelled. Doctors couldn’t save him.
The news made Saturday’s Avalanche-Wild showdown seem unimportant.