Garrett’s father was also a referee. A well-respected man in their community and on the rink, Rich never pressured his son to choose between golf and hockey. Two years ago, Garrett refereed the IIHF Championship in Canada. “My dad had been asking me all week if I had been chosen to ref the gold medal game, because that’s the final game of the championship.” Garrett was told his father had passed away suddenly from a heart attack a few hours before being asked to ref the gold medal game. It was a tough decision, but ultimately Rank decided to stay and ref the game in his father’s honor. Rank also recalls his first NHL game in January of 2015: “It was definitely an emotional experience after having lost my father. I had family and friends there supporting me and to honor of my dad. It was really special.”