John Ashley

John George Ashley (March 5, 1930 – January 5, 2008) was a Canadian referee in the National Hockey League. Early life Ashley was born in Galt, Ontario, and raised in Preston. He played junior hockey with the Toronto Marlies and Guelph Biltmores. In 1950, he tried out for the Toronto Maple Leafs and played on farm teams in Pittsburgh and Syracuse, New York. Career Ashley started his officiating career in 1959. From 1964 to 1972, John officiated every Game Seven in the Stanley Cup playoffs. During the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ashley achieved a first for NHL referees by officiating the seventh game of all three series that went the limit: a quarterfinal (Montreal vs. Boston), a semifinal (New York vs. Chicago), and the final (Montreal vs. Chicago).