Matt Pavelich was one of the few people who could say he worked Detroit Red Wings games at Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena, and Little Caesars Arena.

He was an NHL linesman at Olympia Stadium. As an NHL supervisor of officials, Pavelich worked games at JLA. Following his retirement, he remained an ever-present at Red Wings games as part of the team’s game-night staff.

Pavelich, who died Friday at the age of 92, was also the brother of long-time Red Wings forward Marty Pavelich. That led to some awkward moments in the 1950s when Matt was working the lines for Red Wings games.

If Marty were to pair off in a fight, Matt had already instructed his linesman partner that he’d be the one responsible for restraining Marty in the post-fight breakup.

“In those instances, I’d always grab the other guy and let the other linesman take Marty,” Matt Pavelich explained in the book Hockey Dynasties.

Brother of Former Red Wings Player Worked 19 Stanley Cup Final Series

Marty Pavelich won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, which ties him for the team record. However, his mark is far outdistanced by his brother. Matt Pavelich worked the lines in 19 Cup Final series. Pavelich worked four Stanley Cup Finals involving the Red Wings – 1961, 1963, 1964, and 1966. Detroit lost all four series.

An NHL linesman for 23 seasons, Matt Pavelich handled 1,727 regular-season games and 245 Stanley Cup games. His farewell appearance was the deciding game of the 1979 Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers.

As time ran out, Pavelich scooped up the puck. Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden skated over and asked for it.

“It’s my last game,” Dryden told Pavelich, who answered, “It’s my last game, too.”

Pavelich kept the puck.

When Pavelich was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987, it marked the first time the Hall had expanded nominees to include not only referees but also linesmen.