Date of Birth: 1928
Place of Birth: Grand Falls, NL
Inducted: 2014 (Builder Category)

For 17 busy seasons Leo Rose was an extremely valuable and actually vital aspect of hockey within Newfoundland and Labrador. During a period when there was no large number of high level competent officials, he made a valuable contribution to hockey at the officiating level. He was simply an excellent ref who made many personal sacrifices to provide officiating for hockey games all over the province. His refereeing career played an important role in the establishment of a sound, permanent officiating program that has been of extreme benefit for the sport within Newfoundland and Labrador.

His many, many fine performances at every level of hockey earned him great respect, respect that generated from players, coaches, managers and fans and especially from other officials. He was modestly a well-informed, unbiased referee who always did his job well.

Born in Grand Falls, he grew up during an era of great hockey players and teams. He lived in the center of many great hockey communities and was involved in calling many games that were of relatively great importance to the majority of residents of Central Newfoundland. In addition to calling games in Herder senior play, junior Veitch play and extended high school play, he was called upon to referee games involving touring National Hockey League teams such as the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins and prominent junior clubs such as the Junior Canadians. Such was his knowledge and skill that he served as Referee-in-Chief for Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey in 1964 and 1965.

The impressive manner in which he conducted himself on and off the ice was important to the foundation upon which local and provincial hockey officiating was built within Newfoundland and Labrador. He was a definite role model for the referees who came after him.