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30 ·The IFP· Halton Hills ·Thursday, July 19, 2012 Latest version of Fox whistle pays tribute to John McCauley By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer It's the rare sports official who is remembered for the good things they've done during their careers, let alone have a unique tribute paid to them long after passing. To mark the 25th anniversary of its wildly successful Hamilton-based business, Fox 40 International has come out with the "Rolls Royce" model of a pealess whistle named "The Caul" in honour of late Georgetown resident John McCauley. McCauley was a well-respected on-ice official in the National Hockey League for many years before becoming its Director of Officiating from 1986 until his sudden death from surgical complications in 1989. Fox 40 founder Ron Foxcroft said recently in an interview that the idea for the tribute came from lengthy RON discussions he'd FOXCROFT had with McCauley at NHL games in Toronto during the mid-1980s about coming up with a whistle that didn't fail to blow in a crucial game situation. "Since John was way ahead of his time with respect to how hockey should be officiated, we've spent the last 25 years developing a prototype for a whistle that reflects the way he approached his job," Foxcroft said, noting it's the first time any Fox 40 product has been named after an official. "We've got 20 new projects in the vault that we could have celebrated our anniversary with, but we concluded that there was only one real name we could put on it." Foxcroft, himself a well-known basketball referee, was the first Canadian to work NCAA games. During the men's basketball gold medal game at the 1976 SPORTS & LEISURE Summer Olympics in Montreal, a Yu- were riveted in my mind." Fox 40 held a contest to come goslavian player elbowed his American counterpart and though Foxcroft tried to up with a name for the anniversary blow his whistle, the pea was jammed in its chamber and no sound was audible for the 18,000 booing fans who thought he'd missed calling the obvious foul. Subsequently, Foxcroft's business venture and personal mission to come up with a pea-less whistle saw him sink some $150,000 into debt. "My family and friends Caul to youth referwouldn't talk to me because ees when conducting they thought I was crazy, spending officiating clinics near all this money on a whistle," mused his home in Maine. Foxcroft. Two of Wes's three children, Riley, 11, "I got a lot of negative feedback in the whistle and among the many submis- and Emma, 9, will start officiating youth beginning. The first pea-less whistle was sions, a man from Saskatchewan sug- hockey games this winter. available in 35 other countries before we gested "The Call" as a possible moniker "If you look even sold one in Canada. I thought this for the product. at dad's officiatFoxcroft loved was something that needed a big name to numbers (442 `To think that he's been gone for ing the idea and simply promote it." regular-season onHe asked the advice of good friend Don altered the spelling 20-plus years now and people ice games over 15 Cherry in his research and while the long- to pay tribute to he wasn't still talk about him, it's pretty years), time Hockey Night In Canada commenta- McCauley, whose around as long as nickname humbling. A really nice tribute.' some of the vetertor didn't have much time for many offi- actual cials in any sport, he told Foxcroft, "There was Gus. an referees because --Wes McCauley In 2003, as ownis one official I like and respect, and that's when he got his eye er of the American John McCauley." injury, he was just Foxcroft had only heard of McCauley's Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs, going into what should have been the well-regarded reputation in the hockey Foxcroft's memories of his conversations prime of his career," said Wes, referring to world before meeting with him at Maple with McCauley were triggered again the incident in 1979 after a game between when he watched Wes the NHL All-Stars and the Soviet Union Leaf Gardens one evening McCauley skate out onto when John McCauley was assaulted by a in 1987 for about three the Copps Coliseum ice fan, causing serious damage to the right hours. to officiate a game. "Quite frankly, I was eye that forced his retirement in 1981. Wes, now 40, made his numb with respect for "So to think that he's been gone for 20NHL debut in 2007 and plus years now and people still talk about this man when we first has emerged as one of him, it's pretty humbling. This is a really met. For a famous guy, the league's top referees, nice tribute." he was just an amazing, having officiated thirdgrounded person who The Caul is a dual-chamber design round playoff games this with a flexible fingergrip, cushioned was sincerely interested year for the first time. in what I had to say and mouthpiece and made of material that McCauley said that stays warm in cold arenas, making a what I was attempting to his family is deeply hon- sound of 110 decibels. The Fox 40 brand do. He loved the idea of JOHN MCCAULEY oured by the Fox 40 trib- is available in 140 countries and usage a pea-less whistle and we ute and while he hasn't of its whistles has expanded well beyond had several long conversations about it. Unfortunately, he passed used the whistle in live action yet, he plans the sporting field in areas such as water before we could come together on a proj- to test it in an NHL exhibition game in safety, search and rescue, personal secuect, but those meetings and discussions September and has been distributing The rity and animal training.