Ron Asselstine

Ron Asselstine (born November 6, 1946) is a retired Canadian ice hockey official who served as a linesman in the National Hockey League and as both a referee and linesman in the World Hockey Association.

Asselstine was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Guelph, Ontario. He began his NHL officiating career in 1979 following a distinguished tenure in the WHA and continued until his retirement in 1997. Throughout his career, he officiated 2,002 regular-season games across both leagues, 92 NHL playoff games, and three All-Star Games. From the mid-1980s onward, he wore a helmet on the ice and donned uniform number 38 from the 1994–95 season until he stepped away. Known for his commanding presence and firm handling of on-ice altercations, the , linesman earned the nickname "Bear" for his tough, authoritative style.

On January 28, 1989, at the Boston Garden, a fan ran onto the ice during a game and made his way toward referee Bill McCreary. Linesman Asselstine sprinted after the intruder and body-checked him from behind near the goal line, launching the fan approximately into the end boards. The individual, 22-year-old Frank Barbaro Jr., was then restrained by Boston Police, taken into custody, and charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct.