Story by Bruce Bourquin
Image Courtesy Lloyd Freeberg
As a kid who grew up playing hockey in Minnesota, Lloyd Freeberg ’64 (B.A. psychology) dreamed about winning a Stanley Cup ring. Now, Freeberg has that championship ring, but not for anything he did on the ice.
Freeberg, 67, had been an off-ice official for the National Hockey League for 17
years. Based at the Honda Center, he was a goal judge when the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007, which is how he earned his diamond-studded ring.
Another highlight of Freeberg’s NHL career is his 1998 book, “In the Bin:
Reckless and Rude Stories From the Penalty Boxes of the NHL.” It covers zany
antics from a Ducks mascot being suspended in midair during pregame ceremonies, to a visiting player attempting to steal pucks while in the penalty box during the team’s inaugural season. And then there’s the incident involving Freeberg himself, which took place during a nationally televised game between the Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings.
“I had my eyes examined a few days before the game,” Freeberg said. “I was
feeling pretty big about myself. During the game, this guy fires one past (Kings
goaltender) Kelly Hrudey. I turn the light on, signaling it was a goal. But they
said it never crossed the line. They announced ‘There is no goal’ over the
loudspeakers. My face went up on the JumboTron. It was all over SportsCenter.”
By day, Freeberg, 67, is a criminal defense attorney with an office in Fullerton.
He has worked on high-profile cases (he represents two members of the Set Free
Soldiers of Anaheim, a ministry of motorcycle riders, who were charged with
attempted murder during a bar fight), but his specialty is rehabilitation law. A
father of three and grandfather of six, Freeberg still plays hockey four nights a
week and has coached several teams.
While attending Cal State Fullerton, Freeberg was part of the Phi Sigma Omega
fraternity – now Phi Kappa Tau – located near campus. He remembers his college
years fondly, especially the extracurricular activities such as elephant and go-kart races, and the time he and a couple of friends tried to make the largest lemon pie in history.
“It’s a great school.”
