Josef Kompalla

Josef Kompalla, born Józef Kompała in Katowice on 13 March 1936, was a Polish-German ice hockey defender who became one of the sport's best-known referees. He began with Gwardia Katowice in 1951 and won three Polish junior championships, joined Górnik Katowice in 1956 and was Polish champion in 1958 before emigrating to West Germany to play for Preussen Krefeld. He joined the German federation as an official in 1970 and was chosen by the International Ice Hockey Federation for the 1972 World Championships and for the Summit Series between the Soviet Union and Canada, which he also worked in 1974. He refereed at three Winter Olympic Games and twelve World Championship tournaments, and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2003. He died on 12 July 2026 aged 90.