caption birth_place image_size birth_date image article_title occupation
don in 2008 van massenhoven -lrb- right -rrb- with tim thomas strathroy , ontario 230px 17 july 1960 timthomas talks to don van massenhoven.jpg don van massenhoven
 nhl referee
don van massenhoven

don van massenhoven -lrb- born july 17 , 1960 -rrb- has been a national hockey league referee since the 1993 -- 94 nhl season , and wears uniform number 21 .
before he became an nhl referee , vanmassenhoven was a police officer .
during the 2004 -- 05 nhl lockout , he was a car salesman in his hometown of strathroy , ontario .
vanmassenhoven was one of two referees -lrb- dan o'halloran was the other -rrb- during a november 21 , 2005 game between the nashville predators and the detroit red wings at the joe louis arena where jiri fischer suddenly suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest .
the game was later postponed because of what happened and was made up on january 23 , 2006 .
vanmassenhoven officiated his last game on april 4 , 2014 , between the buffalo sabres and the detroit red wings .
it was at his request to work his final game at joe louis arena .
he officiated 1,366 games over his career .
