Joining the NHL ranks as a full-time referee in the 1980 season, success came quickly for Kerry en route to a record-setting career, calling 1,904 regular season games (the most in history), 261 Stanley Cup playoffs, selection to 12 Cup Finals (his first in 1985 as the youngest referee ever); the 1996 World Cup of Hockey in both Europe and gold medal round in North America; the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan; 2 NHL All-Star games; and the 2010 Winter Classic on New Year’s Day in Boston’s historic Fenway Park.

Kerry was overwhelmingly selected as the best referee in the NHL through independent polls of NHL players conducted annually by ESPN and the Toronto Sun, including in his final NHL season (2009-2010). Referee Magazine selected Kerry as one of the top 10 officials of the century in any sport and he has been haled, arguably, as the most respected NHL referee to ever have blown a whistle.

Kerry learned many lessons in his journey through a storied NHL career with some of the greatest players and coaches the game has ever known. However, no one is ever fully prepared when their doctor informs them they have a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), a rare, presently incurable blood cancer in the leukemia family. Kerry was diagnosed with the disease in 2018.

Kerry truly believes that many of the lessons he learned in the often hostile and aggressive arena of professional ice hockey has prepared him with life skills to never give up the fight, to assist in creating potential lifesaving awareness for others and to advocate and support a community of fellow patients with MPNs to manage the illness in the most productive and positive way possible. Working together as a team with a common goal will eventually find a cure!

Donate to Kerry’s fundraising page: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/s2s22/account/1302136/