Add author to the many hats that Ron Wicks has worn.

A former NHL referee and Brampton real estate broker, Wicks joined the ranks of author with the publication of his memoir A Referee’s Life in November.

Wicks who retired from the NHL in 1986 at the age of 46 has spent the last couple of years going through the articles and letters he has saved in his Brampton home and put some of his thoughts down on paper.

Always opinionated you might wonder why Wicks waited more than 20 years to finally tell his story.

“I never had a burning desire to write a book,’’ said Wicks who admits he does not expect that he will get rich from the project. He has already made donations to some local charities, including The Guardian Santa Claus Fund from the proceeds. The first printing is of 1,500 copies and he said sales have been going fairly well. He hopes there are enough sold to get a second printing.

Wicks represents a different era of hockey and his route to the NHL was unorthodox. Raised in Timmins and Sudbury Wicks was refereeing midget hockey in Sudbury in 1959 when Bob Davidson, a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs, looking for hockey talent recommended Wicks as a potential NHL official. In 1960, having just turned 20 he officiated his first NHL game as a linesman, making him the youngest official ever to work an NHL game. During the 1964 season the league decided he was ready to be a referee and sent him to the minors to learn the job.

Three years later with the NHL expanded from six to 12 teams Wicks rejoined the NHL as a referee, where he stayed until 1986. He retired having worked a then record 1,067 games and close to 2,000 professional games as both a ref and a linesman.

When asked if he wished he was 20 again would he like to be back in the NHL these days Wicks doesn’t hesitate.

“Except for a few decimal places in the salary. I think we had more fun then,’’ he said. Wicks had the chance to deal with many of the legends of the game, seeing the great and not so great players and coaches. While he like all referees had battles with Don Cherry when he was coaching in the league Wicks takes pride that when he retired from refereeing Cherry was quoted as saying he was “as honest and straightforward as they come."

While there were good times Wicks also had to lead some battles for his fellow referees as he helped start the NHL Referees Association to try to improve salaries and pensions for officials.

Wicks has lived in Brampton since 1968 and in his book he offers his take on local personalities including Bill Davis, NHL referee and former Brampton Excelsior player and coach John McCauley, golf pro and his long-time friend Bob Breen. TSN broadcaster Chris Cuthbert who grew up in the same Brampton neighbourhood that Wicks still lives in wrote the introduction.

But he does include more then memories, Wicks also has his comments on the game today. He is not a fan of the replay system used by the NHL to review disputed goals.

“I don’t like the decision being taken away from the referees on the ice. It could be someone 3,000 miles away making the decision,’’ he said.

“In my opinion the four fellows on the ice should make the decision. I’ve been around to long. It’s not an ego thing. I’d like to be the judge,’’ he said.

He also feels there should be some tweaking of the two-man referee system. He favours a system used in some U.S. college leagues with a chief referee and an assistant referee. But with the elimination of the centre red line he feels two referees are needed. He thinks if that system had been in place when he was in the NHL he could have lasted another 10 years.

A Referee’s Life is published by General Store Publishing House. It is available at Chapters but can also be purchased by going to www.gsph.com.

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