GolfNewsRI

NHL referee by winter, top amateur golfer by summer – that is the story of Garrett Rank. 

Rank completed play at the Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett on Friday afternoon, finishing the tournament at 11-over par to miss the cut. 

“It’s a privilege to come here every year. I look forward to this tournament every summer. The course is fantastic, the people here are great. I love the twosomes, I love the challenge of the course, if you are on you can play well, but it penalizes you pretty quickly if you are in the rough or the wrong spot on the greens,” Rank told GolfNewsRI after his round. 

He adds, “I hope to be invited back for the next ten years, maybe even 20.” 

While his main focus now is on the ice, at one time, Rank was rated as the 36th best amateur in the world. 

He even played in the 2018 U.S. Open. 

However, as he has climbed the referee ranks, the golf season has gotten shorter. 

“The last three years I have had the privilege of working the first round, so my golf season kind of started early May, mid-May and then it runs until the end of August when we report to training camp in September,” said Rank. 

Rank worked 80 games this past season, 74 in the regular season and six in the playoffs. 

“It’s pretty busy. I’m away from home a lot. I have a lot of understanding people there, but it is a great lifestyle. Play a lot of golf in the summer, and I grew up playing hockey back home in Canada,” said Rank. 

According to NHL Officials website, starting in 2015, Rank has worked 530 games in his career, including 14 playoff games. 

This past season, Rank made some headlines when he ejected Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby from a game. 

It is the only time Crosby has ever been thrown out of a game. 

When asked for any good hockey stories, Rank laughed and said “none that come to mind.” 

He added, “It’s cool to be out there with the best players in the world. I always tell people I have the best seat in the arena watching them play.”