Dale Noreen, who patrolled the University of Minnesota Duluth blue line during the early 1960s before going on to become a Western Collegiate Hockey Association on-ice official, passed away Wednesday (Jan. 29) in Duluth at the age of 82.

A native of Duluth, Noreen joined the UMD program in 1959-60 after starring at Duluth Denfeld High School.  Known as an offensive-minded defenseman, he skated in all 20 games as a Bulldog rookie and then spent the 1960-61 season with the U.S. National Team. Noreen returned to UMD for the following season and wound up his career that spring with 30 points (14 goals and 16 assists) in 41 lifetime outings.

After his collegiate playing days were over,  Noreen became a familiar face at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, serving as the official timekeeper for UMD home games until the late 1990s and working as a WCHA linesman and local high school referee for many years.

Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 2) at Dougherty Funeral Home in Duluth. Visitation will continue from 10-11 a.m on Monday, followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church in Duluth.