Cooper Smeaton James Cooper Smeaton ( July 22 , 1890 – October 3 , 1978 ) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player , referee and head coach . He served as the National Hockey League ( NHL ) ' s referee - in - chief from 1917 until 1937 . Smeaton served as a Stanley Cup trustee from 1946 until his death in 1978 . Smeaton was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961 . Smeaton was born in Carleton Place , Ontario . When he was three years of age , Smeaton ' s family moved to the Westmount suburb of Montreal , Quebec . During his youth , Smeaton played baseball , football and ice hockey for the Westmount Amateur Athletic Association . By 1908 , Smeaton had started refereeing ice hockey games , including those of the Montreal Insurance Hockey League . Smeaton moved to New York in 1910 and played one season of point for the New York Wanderers , while working for Spalding Sporting Goods . Smeaton returned to Montreal for family reasons and joined Sun Life Insurance and started refereeing amateur games as a sideline . In 1913 , he joined the National Hockey Association ( NHA ) as a referee . In his first game in 1913 , between the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers , he was confronted by Newsy Lalonde after calling an offside . Smeaton promptly fined Lalonde $ 5 ( Lalonde who was known as a bit of a " tightwad " never repeated the incident ) . In 1914 , Smeaton joined the Canadian military to serve in World War I . Smeaton served with the 11th Canadian Siege Battery in France . He was awarded the Military Medal for his service . Smeaton would later be active in the Norman Mitchell VC Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Mount Royal , where he lived . In September 1959 , Smeaton organized a fund - raising intra - squad game by the Montreal Canadiens to benefit the branch ' s welfare fund . Smeaton became the NHL ' s first referee in chief when the NHL formed in 1917 . Smeaton was offered the general manager ' s job of the expansion New York Rangers in 1926 , but turned it down to remain in Montreal . He served as referee until 1930 when he became the head coach of the Philadelphia Quakers . The Quakers played only one season , 1930 – 31 , finishing out of the playoffs . The following season , Smeaton resumed refereeing . He refereed in the NHL until 1937 when he retired . Smeaton , who officiated numerous Stanley Cup and Allan Cup finals , would be inducted as an on - ice official into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961 . Part of the reason Smeaton retired from hockey was to attend to his business career . He retired to accept a promotion to assistant branch manager at Sun Life . Smeaton later became Ottawa branch manager before returning to Montreal to become Montreal branch manager in 1944 . Smeaton would continue at Sun Life until retiring in 1954 . Smeaton served as president of the Montreal Life Insurance Underwriters Association . P . D . Ross appointed Smeaton trustee of the Stanley Cup on February 24 , 1946 , replacing the late William Foran . During his term as trustee , the NHL was given control over the Stanley Cup , allowing the league to reject challenges for the Cup from other leagues . As part of his duties Smeaton would , on occasion , present the Cup to the Stanley - Cup winning championship team . Smeaton remained active in retirement with golf . Smeaton died on October 3 , 1978 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal . He was survived by his wife Victoria . Smeaton is buried in Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal .