On December 13th, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the unexpected loss of referee, coach and friend Darcy Arbeau. Being out of the country at the time of this difficult news I wanted to share my experience having had the pleasure to work with and befriend Darcy.
Darcy had only been with us at the rink for about a year, but in that short time he had a great impact. Darcy was always looking for ways to help us improve and grow as an organization. He had a great passion for hockey and making it safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Darcy was always generous with his time, whether it was as a referee, volunteering as a coach, or often coming in on short notice to cover for a fellow referee. He was always there to help despite battling his own serious health issues.
He would often stick around after games to discuss his concerns and ideas or just to chat, and I really enjoyed these times. Being an occasional referee myself I know how challenging it can be at times and I truly appreciate the work that he did and for his passion and desire to make things better for our organization our referees and all of our players.
He will be greatly missed around the rink, and we want to express our deepest condolences to his daughter Sarah and all of his family. Our thoughts are with you and we wish you all the best in the future.