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How Much Do NHL Referees Travel? (72 Games Per Year)

Oh, referees, you know those guys wearing the stripes that we all love to hate. Whether we like it or not those refs are just as crucial to making the NHL work as the players and coaches are. Did you ever stop to think about how tough of a job that must be? How difficult would it be to call the fastest game on Earth? What is their schedule like in any given season?

NHL Referees are full-time employees of the NHL and there are only 35 of them meaning that yes, in fact, NHL Referees do travel, and they do it a lot! NHL Referees are assigned in pairs to officiate games throughout the NHL schedule meaning they can rack up quite a few miles during the season as well as multiple trips across the US-Canada border. The average NHL referee officiates about 72 games a year. Only 10 fewer games than the schedule for any NHL team.

Table of Contents

Life as a Referee 

The life of an NHL referee is a lot more like the life of an NHL player than you might think. An NHL game is 60 minutes long and unlike the players on the ice, they will be a part of every single one of those minutes. Body preparation becomes a key part of the day-to-day life of an NHL referee. Long-time NHL linesman Greg Devorski mentions how his routine includes “ a whole lot of stretching ” when asked about how he prepares for an NHL game. During the NHL season, these 35 individuals live very similar lives to NHL players in the sense that any given day will consist of travel, working out, watching a film, recovery, and a game if it is on the schedule.

Why Be a Ref?

There are 35 referees and 35 linesmen employed full-time by the NHL for any given season. Each of these individuals will spend the season on the road, away from friends, family, loved ones, and will not be thanked for it either. I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve seen a ref get clapped for unironically (not counting of course Wes McCauley when he makes one of his legendary showman calls ). So what makes the boo’s, the loneliness, and the wear and tear of the body worth it? 

One aspect that may help is the fact that NHL referees will make between $200,000-$400,000 a year based on seniority and games officiated that year. For the select referees that get selected to officiate in the playoffs, they can make up to $18,000 per series. For comparison, the NHL player minimum is $650,000. While an NHL referee will not make the millions of dollars that many of today’s players will get paid to partake in an NHL season, they can definitely take care of their families with that money.

Another perk of working in the NHL is that when the season ends in early April you get to go home for a few months. From April to early September when preseason games startup, NHL referees will get some much-needed time off. This time can be spent recovering, catching up with friends and family, and actually traveling for enjoyment for a change. That 5-6 month break is not something many other jobs can offer.

Expenses of a Ref

The NHL takes care of many of the expenses that could be expected for a ref to incur during the season including reimbursing for travel and food while on the road. However as mentioned before many referees will spend money paying into the officials union, into gym memberships, physical therapy, training, whatever they may need to keep their bodies and minds in the right space to keep up with the fast-paced NHL schedule.

Many of the expenses of being a ref are alleviated once they make it “to the show”. Unfortunately, most referees will never be NHL officials. Many refs will spend their careers in youth, high school, college, and minor hockey . While getting paid to officiate the games, many referees will have to pay their own way. Traveling, food, membership fees, and equipment are just a few of the many expenses these individuals will face if they choose to pursue this career.

How to Become an NHL Referee 

Just like being a player in the NHL, becoming a referee is highly competitive. The journey for most will start as a player, then when that part of their career is over they will transition into officiating. For some, that transition happens at 15-16 and for others, it may come after a professional career. 

Officials must be trained and licensed through their countries governing hockey body (USA Hockey, Hockey Canada). Referees are given “levels” and must move up the ranks to officiate older age groups and higher levels of hockey. For those that do a good enough job, they may find themselves officiating high-level junior or college games. Working their way up the ranks just like a player would hope with the goal being to garner the attention of the NHL. 

The NHL game is extremely fast and officials must be able to keep up with the level of play around them. This is why the NHL set up the NHL Officiating Amateur Exposure Combine hoping to find former players who have competed at the professional, college, or junior level looking to transition into officiating. This program takes former players with no officiating experience and fast tracks them into higher levels of hockey because of things like skating ability and understanding of the game. Several current NHL referees have come out of this program already. This is probably the best route if you wish to have a career officiating in the NHL but it is still possible the traditional way as well.

The Short of It

Next time you watch an NHL game maybe give the guys in stripes a little bit of a break. They are being asked to make split-second decisions in a super-fast game all while traveling all over North America. The life of an NHL referee is not for everyone but for those that do it, they keep the game we all love going night in and night out. All while getting booed every step of the way.

About the author

Growing up in a hockey hotbed (Calgary, Alberta. And yes, I'm an Oiler fan), I decided to put my love and knowledge of the game to work. I started at five and am still playing today into my early 30s. By acquiring Brave Stick Hockey and rebranding it to Big Shot Hockey in 2023, I plan to teach people about this great game and educate them on the best equipment and history of the game. On a career level, I am in finance, running one of the largest financial websites in Canada, Stocktrades.ca.

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How Much Do NHL Referees Travel

In the fast-paced world of professional hockey, referees play a vital role in ensuring fair play and upholding the integrity of the game. However, their responsibilities extend far beyond the ice rink.

As full-time employees of the NHL, these officials embark on an extensive travel schedule, officiating an average of 72 games per year across North America.

This article explores the challenges, benefits, and financial aspects of the rigorous travel demands placed on NHL referees, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes reality of their demanding profession.

NHL Referees’ Full-Time Schedule

NHL referees’ full-time schedule includes officiating an average of 72 games per year. This demanding workload involves extensive travel throughout North America, which can have a significant impact on their personal lives.

With each game taking place in a different city and arena, NHL referees accumulate a considerable amount of travel mileage. They often traverse the US-Canada border, making multiple trips throughout the season. The constant change in time zones can lead to jet lag and fatigue, further affecting their personal well-being.

Additionally, spending significant time away from their families can be challenging for referees. Despite the toll it may take, the opportunity to travel allows referees to experience different cities, cultures, and NHL arenas, creating a rewarding aspect of their profession.

Limited Number of NHL Referees

With only 35 referees employed by the league, the NHL faces the challenge of managing a limited number of officials to officiate its games. This limited number of NHL referees means that each referee has a significant workload throughout the season. They are responsible for officiating an average of 72 games per year, which requires extensive travel to different cities and arenas across North America.

The impact of this travel on referees’ performance cannot be overlooked. Frequent travel can lead to fatigue, jet lag, and disruptions to their personal lives and routines. However, it also presents opportunities for referees to experience different cities, cultures, and NHL arenas.

Despite the challenges, the limited number of NHL referees must adapt and remain flexible to ensure the smooth running of the games.

Pair Assignments for NHL Games

Referees in the NHL are assigned in pairs to officiate games throughout the season, ensuring fair play and adherence to the rules of the game. This pair assignment system allows for consistency and collaboration among referees. The NHL takes into consideration referees’ travel preferences when making these pair assignments. Referees may have specific preferences or requirements for their travel accommodations, such as hotel preferences or flight preferences. The league strives to accommodate these preferences to ensure that referees have a comfortable and convenient travel experience. By taking into account travel preferences, the NHL aims to support referees in their demanding and exhausting travel schedule, allowing them to perform their duties effectively on the ice.

Extensive Travel Across North America

The rigorous travel schedule of NHL referees includes extensive trips across North America to officiate games in various cities and arenas. This demanding travel can have a significant impact on referees’ personal lives. They may have to spend extended periods away from their families and deal with disrupted routines. Additionally, the constant change in time zones can lead to jet lag and fatigue, affecting their performance on the ice.

To manage these challenges, referees employ strategies such as adjusting sleep schedules, staying hydrated, and practicing good nutrition. They may also use techniques like light therapy and melatonin to regulate their sleep patterns.

Despite the difficulties, referees understand that traveling allows them to experience different cities and cultures while broadening their perspectives. It is a rewarding aspect of their job, albeit one that requires adaptability and resilience.

Demanding and Exhausting Travel Schedule

The demanding and exhausting travel schedule of NHL referees takes a toll on their personal lives and requires them to be constantly adaptable and resilient. Referees’ travel fatigue is a significant challenge they face throughout the season.

They are constantly on the move, traveling to different cities and arenas for each game, which can disrupt their routines and lead to feelings of fatigue and jet lag due to the constant change in time zones. Additionally, managing travel disruptions such as delays or cancellations can further add to the demands of their schedule.

Despite these challenges, referees must remain adaptable and flexible to ensure they arrive at each game on time and ready to officiate. Managing their travel effectively is crucial in maintaining their performance and overall well-being.

NHL’s Travel Accommodations for Referees

NHL referees are provided with comprehensive travel accommodations by the league. Here are three key aspects of the NHL’s travel accommodations for referees:

• Hotel Accommodations: The league typically provides referees with hotel accommodations for each game. This ensures that they have a comfortable and convenient place to stay during their travels.
• Transportation Coverage: The NHL covers the cost of referees’ flights or other transportation expenses. This relieves referees from the burden of arranging and paying for their own travel.
• Preferences and Convenience: Referees may have specific preferences or requirements for their accommodations. The league takes these into consideration to ensure that referees have a travel experience that meets their needs. This attention to detail helps minimize any potential negative impact of travel on referees’ performance.

Challenges of Frequent Travel

Frequent travel presents numerous challenges for NHL referees, impacting their personal lives, routines, and overall well-being.

One major challenge is jet lag management, as referees often cross multiple time zones during their travels. This can lead to fatigue and disrupt their sleep patterns, affecting their performance on the ice.

Additionally, referees must sacrifice valuable family time, as they spend significant periods away from their loved ones due to their travel schedule. This can strain relationships and make it difficult to maintain a work-life balance.

Despite these challenges, referees are professionals who must adapt and remain flexible in order to fulfill their responsibilities. By managing jet lag and making necessary sacrifices, referees are able to maintain their commitment to the game and ensure fair officiating.

Benefits of Traveling for NHL Referees

Traveling for NHL referees offers unique opportunities for personal growth and cultural enrichment. Here are three benefits of travel experiences and their impact on personal life:

• Broadened Perspective: By visiting different cities and cultures, referees gain a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and lifestyles. This exposure allows them to develop a broader worldview, fostering empathy and acceptance.
• Enhanced Professional Network: Traveling allows referees to build relationships with other officials and hockey personnel from various backgrounds. These connections can lead to professional growth opportunities, mentorship, and valuable collaborations.
• Enriched Personal Life: While frequent travel can disrupt personal routines, it also provides referees with the chance to explore new places, experience different cuisines, and engage in recreational activities. This can lead to personal rejuvenation, stress reduction, and a balanced lifestyle.

Financial Aspects of Being an NHL Referee

Referees in the NHL have the opportunity to earn a substantial income through their officiating duties. NHL referees make between $200,000 to $400,000 per year, with potential earnings of up to $18,000 per series during the playoffs.

Additionally, the league offers a 5-6 month break after the season ends, allowing referees time to recover, spend time with friends and family, and travel for enjoyment. The NHL takes care of many expenses, including travel and food while on the road, which helps alleviate financial burdens. However, referees may still have additional expenses such as paying into the officials union, gym memberships, and physical therapy.

It is worth noting that while the financial compensation is generous, referees in youth, high school, college, and minor hockey may face financial challenges. Balancing the financial aspects of being an NHL referee with their personal lives can be challenging, but the perks of the job, including compensation and time off, contribute to a fulfilling work-life balance.

Path to Becoming an NHL Referee

To become an NHL referee, individuals must undergo rigorous training and obtain licensing through governing hockey bodies, often transitioning from playing the sport themselves. The path to becoming an NHL referee involves several steps and opportunities for advancement. Here are three key aspects of the process:

• Training: Aspiring NHL referees must complete comprehensive training programs that cover the rules and mechanics of officiating. This includes classroom instruction, on-ice training, and evaluations to assess their skills and knowledge.
• Officiating Experience: Referees gain experience by officiating games at lower levels, such as youth, high school, and college hockey. This allows them to develop their skills, build their knowledge of the game, and work their way up through the officiating ranks.
• NHL Officiating Amateur Exposure Combine: The NHL Officiating Amateur Exposure Combine provides an opportunity for former players with officiating potential to fast-track their progress. This program identifies and develops talented individuals, giving them the chance to officiate at higher levels of hockey and ultimately work towards becoming NHL referees.

Financial Challenges in Lower Levels of Officiating

As referees progress through the ranks of officiating, they may encounter significant financial challenges, particularly at lower levels of the sport. Officiating at the youth, high school, college, and minor hockey levels often involves lower pay rates compared to professional leagues like the NHL.

These financial struggles can make it difficult for referees to balance their personal lives and meet their financial obligations. Many lower-level referees have to work additional jobs to supplement their income, which can further complicate their schedules and add to the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance.

Despite these financial challenges, many referees persevere because of their passion for the sport and the desire to progress in their officiating careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time do nhl referees typically spend away from their families due to travel.

NHL referees often spend significant time away from their families due to frequent travel. Balancing work and personal life can be challenging, especially with disruptions to routines and the potential for jet lag and fatigue.

How Do NHL Referees Handle Jet Lag and Fatigue From Constant Time Zone Changes?

NHL referees manage jet lag and fatigue from constant time zone changes through various techniques, such as adjusting sleep schedules, staying hydrated, and incorporating light exercise. The impact of travel on referee performance is mitigated by their adaptability and resilience.

What Happens if There Are Travel Delays or Cancellations That Affect a Referee’s Game Assignments?

Travel delays or cancellations can disrupt a referee’s game assignments. Referees may need to be reassigned to different games or reschedule their travel plans. This can be challenging for both the referees and the league.

Do NHL Referees Have Any Say in Their Travel Accommodations or Preferences?

NHL referees have some say in their travel accommodations and preferences. The league provides hotel accommodations and covers transportation costs. Referees may have specific requirements, and the league ensures a comfortable and convenient travel experience.

Are NHL Referees Responsible for Any Additional Expenses During the Season, Besides the Ones Covered by the League?

NHL referees are not responsible for any additional expenses during the season. The league covers the cost of their travel and accommodations. Referees can focus solely on their game assignments without having to worry about financial burdens.

In the fast-paced world of professional hockey, NHL referees face a demanding and exhausting travel schedule as they officiate an average of 72 games per year.

While this rigorous lifestyle can disrupt their personal lives, it also offers the opportunity to explore different cities and cultures.

Despite the challenges, the travel aspect of being an NHL referee provides a rewarding experience, allowing officials to broaden their perspectives and forge connections with fellow officials and hockey personnel.

It truly is a journey of growth and camaraderie.

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How Much Do NHL Refs Get Paid?

Ever wonder how much NHL officials get paid? Boardroom has all the details on the current NHL referee salary structure.

On-ice officials in the NHL have a fast-paced and demanding job.

A rigorous work schedule, not to mention constant travel and the tiniest room for error in some of the game’s biggest moments. And let’s not forget the physical conditioning it takes to skate up and down the ice for 60+ minutes a game.

But keeping order on the ice, as it turns out, can mean some significant money — especially for veteran officials who’ve made a career out of calling the shots.

A look at the current collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Officials’ Association shows officials earn quite the compensation package — one that’s comparable to NBA referees’ salary structure.

The @NHL and the NHL Officials’ Association have reached an agreement on a new four-year deal. pic.twitter.com/oFoXwjneYt — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 1, 2019

So how much money do NHL refs really make? Let’s skate through some of the details.

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NHL Referee Salary Overview

Like most jobs in america, an nhl referee’s salary is based on  seniority and performance..

Compensation for NHL officials varies by years of service, as well as position in the officiating crew — referee or linesman.

Here’s a snapshot of the current status of officiating in the NHL, including salary ranges for the regular season and additional compensation for playoff games.

• The NHL currently has an officiating roster of 35 full-time referees and 34 full-time linesmen.
• Referees are expected to work at least 73 of the 82 regular season games, while linesmen must work 74 games.
• Salaries for officials are determined by years of service: referees’ pay scale is from one to 16 years or more, while linemen’s payscale extends to 20+ years.
• According to the current collective bargaining agreement, referees can earn anywhere between $220,602 (Year 1) to $ 482,226 (16+ years) for preseason and the regular season, while linemen make between $141,291 (Year 1) and $292,027 (20+ years).
• Twenty referees and 20 linemen are selected to officiate in the playoffs.
• Officials who are selected to officiate in the playoffs can earn additional compensation per round — referees make $27,000 and linesmen make $17,250 .
• The NHL requires a standby referee and standby linemen for the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals — standby referees earn $1,000 per game , while linesmen make $650 per game .

Now let’s look at the zebras who’ve earned their stripes — not to mention a substantial payday.

Longest-tenured/ Highest-Paid Officials in the NHL   ($482,226+):

• Kevin Pollock – 1,488 career games since 2000
• Marc Joannette – 1,452 career games since 1999
• Kelly Sutherland – 1,389 career games since 2000
• Eric Furlatt – 1,328 career games since 2001
• Dan O’Rourke – 1,321 career games since 1999
• Ian Walsh – 1,321 career games since 2000
• Chris Rooney – 1,316 career games since 2000
• Chris Lee – 1,267 career games since 2001
• Wes McCauley – 1,217 career games since 2003
• Gord Dwyer – 1,125 career games since 2005

A look at past collective bargaining agreements shows NHL officials’ salary has also grown substantially over the years. According to the 2010-14 CBA , the pay range for the 2012-13 season was between $112,187 to $353,649.

With the expiration of the current CBA expected at the end of this year, just how much more can NHL officials expect in the future?

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How Much Do NHL Referees Make? (Answered)

The NHL season is a gruelling one as training camps begin in September with the Stanley Cup being hoisted nine months later. While players are flown around the North America on charter flights or in first class, NHL officials slog it out from city to city on commercial airliners and on the highways. They don’t make anywhere near the 2021-22 NHL minimum player salary of $750,000, but are still quite well paid.

NHL referees make between $200,000 and $490,000 USD per season, depending on years of service. They work 73 games during the season. This works out to approximately $2,700 to $6,750 per game. They also earn $27,000 per playoff round and receive dental, medical, and life insurance as well as a pension, travel expenses, and career counseling if needed. 

Do Referees Make More than Linesmen?

NHL referees are paid more than linesmen as an NHL linesman’s average salary is between $137,485 and $284,904 for 74 games in 2021-22 for an average of between $1,858 and $3,850 per contest. The yearly wage then rises to between $141,291 and $292,027 in 2022-23. They’re also paid $17,250 for each playoff round worked.

What are the Differences Between a Hockey Referee and a Linesman?

Other than the pay scale, the major difference between referees and linesmen are their on-ice duties. The NHL uses two referees and two linesmen per game with the referee’s main job being to call penalties and generally control the game while the linesmen drop the puck for most faceoffs, make offside and icing calls and break up altercations.

For certain playoff games there is either one or two standby referees and linesmen for each game in case of illness or injury. A standby referee is paid $2,750 per game and a linesman makes $1,775 if called into service. If they aren’t required, the standby referee is paid $1,000 and the linesman $650.

How Much Do Off-Ice Officials Make? (and what they do)

The NHL also utilizes a host of off-ice officials for each game who perform advisory and administrative duties. These include video goal judges, a game timekeeper, an official scorer, a penalty timekeeper and statisticians.

The video goal judge reviews replays to decide if a goal has been scored legally. The judge decides if a puck has completely crossed the goal line, if the goal was scored before time expired, if the puck was kicked in or directed in by hand, and if the goal was scored by a high stick etc. All goals in the NHL are reviewed either by a video goal judge in the arena or at the NHL’s control room in Toronto.

The official scorer takes care of checking the teams’ rosters and awards goals and assists to players with their decision final. However, they sometimes change a goal or assist after reviewing the play on video.

The penalty timekeeper keeps an official record of penalties assessed during a game and makes sure the correct penalty time is posted on the score clock. He or she also makes sure the players don’t leave the penalty box before their time has been served.

The official game timekeeper is in charge of stopping and starting the game clock and the correct moment and is aided by a stopwatch in case of a malfunction in the clock.

The statisticians record all of the individual and team statistics such as time on ice per player, shots on net and saves etc.

Can NHL Referees get Fired?

Yes, NHL referees and linesmen can be fired for subpar performance and other serious infractions and have 15 days to appeal the decision. They also receive severance pay if fired. According to former long-time NHL official Paul Stewart, hockey officials are evaluated by supervisors and league officiating directors on a regular basis. These supervisors have the power to reward, fine or suspend, and fire officials.

The most recent incident occurred in March, 2021 when 22-year veteran referee Tim Peel was let go after being caught on microphone stating that he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators during a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

What is the NHL Officials Association?

The National Hockey League Officials’ Association (NHLOA) was formed in 1969 to help improve the salaries, benefits and working conditions of the league’s officials. The association consists of active officials who have signed a contract with the NHL and are working in the NHL or a designated minor league. This union negotiates a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league with the current one running until 2023.

In November, 1993 the NHLOA went on a 17-day strike while the NHL used replacement officials for the league’s games. This wasn’t a successful solution and it resulted in a new collective bargaining agreement for NHL officials which saw them receive improved playoff, pension, retirement and severance payments.

How Can You Become an NHL Referee?

According to the NHLOA, the best way to become an NHL referee or linesman is to contact your nearest officiating governing body such as USA Hockey or Hockey Canada. Any and all types of officiating experience will help so it’s a good idea to sign on with local minor hockey or recreational leagues as an official if possible.

It’s recommended that you also attend official training camps and schools and take power skating lessons if needed to help in your development. These training camps concentrate on penalty calls, on-ice positioning, and off-ice theory classes. The camps are attended by representatives of professional leagues such as the NHL, American Hockey League (AHL), East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Canadian Major Junior Hockey Leagues (CHL), and USA Hockey associations.

The NHL requires referees to have a high-school diploma or foreign equivalent as well as five years of experience officiating junior and/or minor pro hockey. The league also asks its potential referees to have three years of playing experience at an elite high-school, collegiate, junior or other amateur or pro level.

Also, each summer the NHL holds the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine for current and former players who are interested in becoming officials. This event is aimed towards high-level players and former players who have competed at the college, university, and/or junior hockey level but have no pro experience. If hired, officials typically work their way up the ranks until reaching the pro level. For more information please visit https://secure.nhl.com/nhlexposurecombine

How Many NHL Referees and Linesmen are Hired Each Season?

The NHLOA stated they have 35 full-time referees signed to contracts as well as 35 full-time linesmen. There were also 9 minor-league referees and 6 minor-league linesmen under contract who split their time between AHL and NHL.

The NHL doesn’t hire many officials on a yearly basis since most of them enjoy relatively long careers in the league. However, when an official retires or suffers a long-term injury a replacement is needed. An official or two may also be hired when the league has expanded to include a new franchise. However, in 2021, three referees and five linesmen were promoted from being AHL/NHL officials to full-time NHL officials and 11 new officials were hired to replace them.

Learn how much NHL players make here.

Ian is an experienced ice hockey writer with a passion for the game. He has been covering hockey for over 25 years and has contributed to various publications. He covers all aspects of the sport, from NHL rules to in-depth analysis of the game as well as previews. Ian is also an avid fan who attends numerous games and has played hockey regularly since moving to Canada at the age of 10.

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Last updated: Feb 07, 2024

How Much Does an NHL Referee Make?

Refereeing an NHL game is undoubtedly an intense and exciting experience, but how much do NHL referees actually earn for supervising games? As with many other sports, the professional salaries of NHL referees are not widely known, but looking at the data about them reveals that most professional hockey referees earn a respectable living from their sport. Here, we will examine the salaries of rookie and veteran NHL referees, how salaries differ between types of referees, and also compare them to the earnings of other referees in the sports world.

Table of Contents

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In contrast to most other sports, the NHL is known for having a rather small number of referees. In each season of professional hockey, the league employs 33 full-time NHL referees and 35 linesmen, as well as nine part-time referees. With this in mind, what do these referees earn each year?

As with any field, the salary of an NHL referee often depends on the referee’s level of experience, with inexperienced referees making less money than their more veteran counterparts.  According to statistics, the average salary for a first-year full-time NHL referee is around $200,000.  From there, an NHL referee’s salary will increase as they gain experience.

The low end of full-time referee salaries sits at approximately $165,000, while at the high end, some referees can make $360,000. However, certain veteran referees with many years of experience can make even more. For example, a referee who has been with the NHL for 15 years may earn as much as $430,000 each year.

The average salary of an NHL referee is much higher than that of the average worker, but it nonetheless represents only about 10% of the salary made by a professional NHL player. In comparison to referees, NHL players earn a salary of roughly $3 million a year, on average. 

NHL referees earn an annual salary for their work, meaning that they do not get paid per game , as many other referees do, but rather make a predetermined amount of money for the season.

However, when considering that each NHL referee works about 73 games each season, it is possible to determine the amount they make “per game” by dividing their salary by 73. Therefore, an NHL referee who makes $200,000 per year would be earning approximately $2,740 per game, while a higher-paid referee with a salary of $360,000 per year would make around $4,932 per game.

NHL referee salaries do not only vary by experience but also by position. There are two types of referees in the NHL, full-time referees and linesmen. Full-time referees, who are responsible for being on the ice and watching the entirety of the game, generally make the salaries described above. Linesmen, however, perform different services and are particularly responsible for watching the center and blue lines on the ice, looking for violations.

In general, NHL linesmen make a bit less than full-time referees.  A first-year linesman will make around $137,000, in contrast to a first-year salary of $165,000-$200,000 for a full-time referee. A veteran linesman can make anywhere from $228,000 to as much as $235,000.

In addition to full-time referees and linesmen, each NHL game also employs standby officials, who can be called up onto the ice in the event of an injury or other issue with an acting referee. Standby referees generally earn a flat fee of $1,000 for simply being in the stadium, and if they are called onto the ice, that fee rises to $2,750. A standby linesman receives $650 for being present at a game and $1,775 for being called up to officiate.

In comparison to other professional sports referees, NHL referees make similar, and often larger, salaries.  For example, the average salary for an NFL referee is $205,000 per year, lying somewhat between the average $165,000-$360,000 starting salary for an NHL referee.

Meanwhile, NHL referees make similar earnings to NBA Basketball referees, who make anywhere from $250,000-$500,000 per year based on experience. However, one sport that NHL referees do not come close to in terms of salary is baseball. On average, an MLB Umpire can make around $450,000 per year, much more than even some veteran NHL referees.

NHL referees can make anywhere from $20,000 to as much as $27,000 extra per playoff round for supervising postseason games   such as the Stanley Cup Finals.  Meanwhile, NHL linesmen also make playoff bonuses, coming in at approximately $17,250 per round.

How much do NHL hockey refs make?

Full-time NHL hockey referees have been reported to make between $165,000 and $360,000 per year, depending on experience.  Linesmen range between $110,00 to $235,000 per year. In comparison, NHL players make a minimum of $775,000 per year, with the highest-paid player making over $15 million per year.

Is an NHL referee a full-time job?

NHL referees are full-time employees, unlike some other major sports leagues, where referees are considered part-time workers.  As a result of their full-time status, NHL referees receive an annual salary, benefits, and travel stipends from the league. These benefits allow them to maintain the busy travel schedules they face when officiating their 73 games each hockey season.

Pages Related to How Much Does an NHL Referee Make?

• Hockey Referee Certification
• Ice Hockey Referees
• What Is An Off-Ice Official in Hockey?
• Hockey Officials
• What Does An Official Do In Hockey?
• What Is An Instigator In Hockey?

Earning their stripes: How NHL refs stay in shape

CHICAGO -- NHL referee Dan O'Rourke, like most frequent fliers, is a meticulous packer. For every work trip, his suitcase weighs exactly 52 pounds. Should an airport attendee measure it at, say, 51 pounds, O'Rourke knows he must have left something at home. And he never leaves for a trip without his black-and-white striped uniform -- which he is responsible for transporting (and laundering) himself between cities -- his skates, gym clothes, toiletries and a high-powered blender. That's right, a blender. After burning 1,000 calories in a regulation game, how else is he supposed to replenish without a protein shake?

Let's just say that O'Rourke must be resourceful. Welcome to the secluded and highly regimented lifestyle of NHL officials, who call themselves the league's 32nd team. The parallels between the 68 men in stripes who regulate the game and an actual NHL team are hard to ignore.

There's a demanding coach (fitness guru Dave Smith, aka "Smitty") who keeps them in line and a manager (head of officiating Stephen Walkom) who oversees the roster. There are, unfortunately, season-ending injuries, which means AHL call-ups. The season is defined by exhausting travel -- most refs typically work three games a week, meaning they're on the road 19-21 days a month -- and their ultimate goal is to skate in the Stanley Cup playoffs. More than anything else, there's a need to keep up with the best.

"No question, the pace of the game has changed to become much faster," says Vaughan Rody, who was honored last month for officiating his 1,000th NHL game. "And we need to keep up, too."

Over the past few years, this has led to a total obsession with fitness.

It's mid-December in Chicago, and the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks are on the ice for warm-ups. In the bowels of the United Center, the only sound is muffled electronic dance music echoing up from the ice. This is where the four officials for the night's game are conducting their own warm-ups.

O'Rourke wraps an exercise band around a nearby forklift so he can use it to stretch (remember, he's resourceful). He is reminded that, at this very arena five years ago, he suffered his goriest injury. Then- New Jersey Devils winger Dainius Zubrus fired a slap shot to dump the puck into Chicago's zone. O'Rourke was standing on the Zamboni end by the wall and, as he notes, not where he was supposed to be. The puck bounced off the glass, hit the stanchion and ricocheted right into O'Rourke's teeth. Fifty stitches and three implants later, he returned to the ice.

Before becoming an official, O'Rourke spent time in the ECHL, suiting up for the Erie Panthers and Louisiana IceGators, where he picked up penalties instead of calling them. O'Rourke also endured three shoulder surgeries during his playing days, and his officiating injuries include "a handful of knee stuff," including MCL sprains, meniscus issues and a bone taken out of his knee.

Kory Nagy, 28, is the youngest of all the officials. A fifth-round draft pick of the Devils in 2008, he played 306 games of pro hockey -- including 117 in the AHL -- before switching to officiating in 2014. He made his NHL debut in 2016.

"After I was done playing, I was burnt out from all the strenuous lifting. I couldn't maintain that forever," says Nagy, who has slimmed from his playing weight of 205-210 pounds to 193.

And then there's Rody, whose body has been ravaged by his job, though you could never tell by his cheery disposition -- or his pregame routine. Rody's feet are propped on a railing and he extends in a plank position, his face nearly grazing the floor. Rody has had both legs broken by slap shots (one from longtime NHL defenseman Andrew Ference ). He also tore a pectoral muscle while breaking up a fight. "They cut the jersey off between periods," Rody says, matter-of-factly. "And the doctors said, 'Oh my god, we have to schedule you for surgery right away. Flew back to [my home in] Seattle, had surgery the next day. I was out for eight months after that."

Rody also had spinal fusion surgery two-and-a-half years ago, which sidelined him for more than a year.

It's amazing that they've all been able to bounce back from these injuries, but it makes more sense when you consider how they train.

"They're not professional athletes, but we're treating them like athletes," Walkom says. "To be able to step on the ice with the best hockey players on the world you would need to be conditioned accordingly."

Each year, officials convene for their own training camp. When Walkom officiated in the 1980s, workouts weren't so vigorous. Everyone was required to run two miles.

"You just needed to complete it," Walkom says. "Like it was a high school gym test."

Officials used to come to training camp to get in shape.

"I'd let myself go, then try to lose 15 pounds at the end of summer," O'Rourke says. "Now guys are more into a lifestyle of fitness and health versus crash dieting and whipping into shape right before the season."

They have Smith to thank for that. Smith is a former trainer for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers who joined the league in the 1990s to work with officials. He developed a program that involved testing ( see sidebar below ). Unlike players who covet power and lower-body girth, refs prefer to be leaner. It's easier on the joints, which can help a ref continue to work into his 50s.

"Smitty has probably prolonged a lot of guy's careers," Rody says. "In this business, we're not making millions of dollars like these players are. We're making $300,000 a year. That's a lot of money for us. So if we buy in, get in shape, maybe it buys us an extra two or three years. It's better for everybody."

On-ice drills include getting out of the way after a puck is dropped for faceoff. Refs are also required to scrimmage against each other, the thinking being: If you can't play a full game of hockey, you probably shouldn't be on the ice.

Smith has a reputation fore being a hard-ass. A few years ago, he eliminated mayonnaise from the officials' training-camp menu, which caused a small revolt because of dry sandwiches. He monitors the refs closely throughout the season.

"If a guy is slipping, Smitty goes and lives with them for a week," Walkom says.

In what sounds like a boot camp reality show, Smith will embed at a referee's home, fully examining his training regimen and his fridge.

"Well, usually their fridge looks great," Smith says. "It's when they're on the road -- that's when it's most difficult to make good choices."

He'll also check in when officials cycle through Buffalo, where he's based. Though Rody has never been subject to extra Smitty time, he knows, "If you're told you need to go to Buffalo, and he's scheduling for you to go for a skate in the morning, obviously you're not doing what's expected of you."

Adds O'Rourke: "He's got our best interests in mind. But I'm sure it's not easy to receive. Nobody wants to hear, 'Hey, chubby.'"

Smith shares the rationale for his tough-love stance: "If your fitness level is greater than it needs to be, then you have no problem getting into the right positions and having the right sightlines," he says. "And if you don't have to worry about getting into those right spots, then you just need to focus on your judgement and your communication. And your job becomes much easier for you."

Though they work with a different crew every game, the officials treat each other like a team. Usually they get lunch together before a game. In Chicago, that means salads.

"Our lunches have changed completely," O'Rourke admits. "It used to be that at 12:30 you'd have the biggest plate of pasta and chicken and then go nap, work the game, and then eat chicken wings and beer afterward."

Now, O'Rourke makes his protein shakes after the game -- no need for a huge meal, just replenishment. In-season workouts vary from official to official.

Kozari supplements his yoga with cardio machines like the elliptical or bike (running is too hard on his joints). Nagy and Rody are both avid cyclists -- they mountain bike while at home, and Nagy even rented bikes when working games in Arizona and Las Vegas.

O'Rourke, meanwhile, is a CrossFit junkie. which works out well, because he can find gyms all over the country. He typically does about five CrossFit workouts a week, which sometimes means squeezing in a CrossFit workout in the morning and working a game at night.

"My workout is the hardest part of my day," O'Rourke says. "Then when it comes to working a hockey game, because I put so much time on the other side of it, the physical demands aren't that bad. Mentally, I can stay in the game much longer."

Says Rody: "There are 68 guys, and we all have our own way to work out, but as we're committed, and working hard, we're going to do the best job we can every night."

Being an NHL referee is inherently thankless. If you officiate a perfect game, that means nobody in the arena is talking about you. We tend to only notice refs when we think they messed up. Wes McCauley has become the rare exception to this, becoming a viral sensation for his dramatic recitings of video reviews .

More often, a stigma haunts refs; they've been conditioned by abuse and scapegoating since juniors. It's telling that one of the most retold incidents involving referees was when then-Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld, angry about officiating in a 1988 playoff game, berated referee Don Koharski, calling him a "fat pig" and telling him to "have another doughnut."

There are two things refs want the average fan to know. One is that they're passionate about hockey. A lot of refs, such as Rody, run power-skating camps over the summer. Many, such as O'Rourke, took up officiating as a way to stay in the game when their playing careers were exhausted. (Though O'Rourke was invited to Edmonton Oilers training camp in 1993, he finished playing in Louisiana in the East Coast League in 1997-98; his first son was born that summer and he wanted stability for his family).

"I hate hearing, 'You guys aren't accountable, you don't care about the game,'" O'Rourke says. "If you don't care about hockey, you're not going to be an official; what a stupid job to take if you don't love the game. You're not going to do this job, when everywhere you go you get kicked in the teeth."

And the other thing fans should know? These days, most NHL refs are terrified of reaching for sugary fried dough -- especially if their coach is watching.

Everyone hates NHL playoff officiating. But here’s why it’s the way it is

NEW YORK — It’s a little more than four minutes into overtime, the fate of Game 2 and, perhaps, the entire series between the Hurricanes and the Islanders hanging in the balance. Every overtime feels like that, no matter how deep into a series it is, no matter how the series stands. This being an Islanders game, there’s some heavy hitting going on, as New York tries to grind the speedier Hurricanes into the ice.

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Islanders television analyst Butch Goring chimes in.

“You get the sense that the refs aren’t going to want to call anything,” he says. “They want the players to decide it.”

Goring is drawing on decades of experience as both a player and an analyst, a veteran of 134 Stanley Cup playoff games with the Kings , Islanders and Bruins .

Fourteen seconds later, Carolina ’s Jordan Martinook ’s stick catches Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield in the face. Linesman Travis Gawryletz is standing four or five feet behind Mayfield when it happens, looking right at him. Referee Francis Charron was four or five feet behind Gawryletz, also looking right up the boards — the puck was 10 or 15 feet ahead of Martinook at that moment, being fought over by Jesper Fast and Anders Lee .

It’s an obvious high-sticking penalty, and there’s no carve-out in the rule book for the fact that Mayfield might have nudged Martinook’s stick up and helped cause the high-stick. On top of all that, Carolina already has had six power plays in the game, and New York has had none.

Play continues.

Thirteen seconds later, Fast scores the game winner.

Dave Jackson had a mantra as a referee. And the later it got in a playoff game, the closer the contest, the more he’d lean on his mantra, not just to calm his mind but to remind him of his mandate. At every stoppage, while the music blared and the players changed, Jackson would lean over, hands on his knees, catch his breath and repeat it to himself, over and over. Sometimes even out loud.

If it’s a penalty, you have to call it.

“Late in the game, I used to tell myself the biggest thing was don’t overreact because once you call a penalty, you can’t take it back,” said Jackson, who was an NHL official from 1989 through 2018 and now works as an ESPN rules analyst. “So don’t overreact. Take that extra second. But again, if it’s a penalty, you have to call it. It doesn’t matter what time of the game it is. If it’s a penalty, you have to call it.”

Officiating, as it always seems to be this time of year, is in the spotlight. Islanders fans are furious about a missed call on Martinook. Kings fans are furious about a bad call on Kevin Fiala . Wild fans are furious about ticky-tack calls on Marcus Foligno . Kraken fans are furious that Cale Makar ’s late hit on Jared McCann was downgraded from a major to a minor upon review, and Avalanche fans are furious that Makar was suspended for a game for a hit that was downgraded to a minor upon review. Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe and Lightning coach Jon Cooper are playing mind games in the press about referee “manipulation.”

The refs are front and center.

It’s the last place they want to be.

“You never want to be the story,” Jackson said.

But sometimes you can’t help it. When you’re officiating an Oilers game, every penalty you call on their opponent feels like an automatic goal because Edmonton’s power play is one of the best we’ve ever seen. When it’s late in the third period of a tied playoff game, you’re dramatically affecting the game by calling a penalty. But you’re also dramatically affecting the game if you don’t.

It’s one thing to let the players play. It’s another to let them blatantly flout the rules.

“Don Cherry would say put your whistle away, let the players decide the outcome of the game,” said Kerry Fraser, who was an NHL official from 1973 to 2010. “I never really bought into that, and I always maintained that if I avoided calling an obvious infraction, then I was, in fact, having some effect on the game. That’s what we’re there for. We’re there to enforce the rules, but we’re also there to apply the rules with common sense and good judgment.”

Judgment is the keyword there. Good judgment is in the eye of the beholder. And everyone seems to want something different.

Is a penalty in the first period of a sleepy midweek game in January also a penalty in the second overtime of Game 6 of a hotly-contested playoff series? Call it that way, and the old-timers are going to lament how soft the game has gotten.

Does a player have to take off his skate and brandish it as a weapon in order to be deemed worthy of a minor penalty in the final five minutes of a one-goal playoff game? Call it that way, and the new-schoolers are going to lament how archaic the game has remained.

The Rangers’ Jacob Trouba , who frequently straddles the line between hard hockey and extralegal hockey, said he just wants “consistency” from the drop of the puck to the final whistle. The Devils’ Erik Haula said refs are calling these playoffs far too tightly, saying he prefers “a little bit more prison rules than what it is now because, to me, that’s playoff hockey.” Foligno called the officiating in the Wild-Stars series “a joke,” angry that his hyper-physical style of play — which, for decades, was the idealized standard of postseason hockey — is now considered over the line.

Everyone’s mad, all the time.

Just as NHL players are the best at what they do, it stands to reason that NHL officials are the best at what they do. And just as NHL players commit turnovers, fan on one-timers, get lost in defensive coverage or give up soft goals, NHL officials blow offside calls, miss a hit to the head, misinterpret an awkward hit along the boards as boarding, fall for a dive.

But most players don’t hear 20,000 fans chant “YOU SUCK” or worse at them the way the officials do.

Who in their right mind would even want this job?

“It’s the hardest job, next to a goalie, being a ref,” Devils defenseman Brendan Smith said. “They get no love either way. Rarely do coaches or teams believe they called it perfectly. Somebody’s normally pissed on one side or the other. I sympathize with the refs. It’s a tough gig.”

It’s late in the second period of Game 4 between the Oilers and the Kings, and Edmonton has cut a 3-0 deficit down to 3-2. It’s a little tense at Crypto.com Arena. The Oilers are in the offensive zone, and Connor McDavid leaves the puck for Leon Draisaitl up top. Draisaitl cuts across the high slot, where the Kings’ Fiala steps up into him, delivering a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. It’s clean. It’s not late; the puck is right there between their feet. It’s the hit that knocks Draisaitl to the ice, not Fiala’s stick, which ended up between Draisaitl’s skates due to the shockwave of the hit.

Off in the distance, in the far corner of the ice, the right arm of referee Chris Lee — who can only see the back of Fiala at the moment of contact — shoots up. Tripping.

Wait, tripping?

Draisaitl, naturally, scores on the ensuing power play with just 11 seconds left in the period, tying the game. It’s a soul-crushing goal for the Kings. Edmonton wins 5-4 in overtime.

Talk to just about any player in these playoffs and they’ll tell you that more penalties are being called than ever.

It’s not entirely true.

Through the first four games of each first-round series, there has been an average of 8.46 minor penalties called per game. Using data pulled by analyst Prashanth Iyer, there was an average of 9.24 minors per game in the first round last year. Relative to the past decade or so, this year’s average is a little high, but not egregiously so. Calls really spiked with the crackdown on obstruction coming out of the 2004-05 lockout (there were 11.1 minors called per game in the first round in 2008, for example), but this year’s total is in the general ballpark of the new normal.

The following chart is for the first round only and excludes major penalties, misconducts and matching minors.

Now, it’s early. And as Cam Charron has been tracking , fewer penalties get called the later you get in a series, and the later you get in the postseason. So these numbers could drop by the end of the first round. But so far in these playoffs, the officiating has been pretty tight. Certainly compared to yesteryear, when it was closer to Haula’s “prison rules” than the modern-day game.

“We were talking about that the other day, how there’s probably more penalties called in the playoffs, at least to start, than even the regular season,” Rangers winger Patrick Kane said. “That’s not how it used to be. It’s a little bit different now. Especially early in the playoffs, it seems like they’re trying to set a standard. (You need) awareness that you’re probably not going to get away with certain things that you might have gotten away with in the regular season.”

And that’s how the league wants it.

Jackson said that the NHL’s director of officiating, Stephen Walkom, and commissioner Gary Bettman have made it clear to officials that they have the league’s blessing to call games by the letter of the law, not by some amorphous concept of what playoff hockey is supposed to look like.

“People don’t believe me when I say it, but they’ve done a good job telling that to the referees,” Jackson said. “They’ve told the referees, ‘You know what the standard is. Call a penalty, and if it meets the standard, we’ll support you, regardless of the time of game and regardless of the score.’ So the refs aren’t afraid to call it, no matter what the situation is.”

Walkom should know. During the 2013 playoffs, he called what could have been an incredibly fateful penalty late in Game 7 between the Blackhawks and Red Wings in the second round. Brandon Saad and Kyle Quincey got tangled up along the boards well behind the play, and Walkom called them for matching roughing minors just as Niklas Hjalmarsson scored what would have been the game-winning goal with 1 minute, 49 seconds to play in a 1-1 game. The whistle negated the goal. Hjalmarsson was beside himself. The fans were irate. Joel Quenneville was spewing venom and vitriol.

Fortunately for Walkom, Brent Seabrook scored in overtime to send the Blackhawks into the Western Conference final. But if Detroit had scored, there likely would have been significant changes in Chicago after a third straight early exit, and the Blackhawks might have been little more than a one-Cup wonder rather than the three-time champion team of the decade.

All because of a scuffle nowhere near the play and a call that probably shouldn’t have been made.

That’s the kind of weight that rests on officials’ shoulders in these big moments.

Fraser told a story about the 1989 Stanley Cup Final between Calgary and Montreal : He sent off Mark Hunter for boarding Shayne Corson late in the second overtime of Game 3, with the series tied 1-1. Fraser could see it coming in slow motion.

“I’m going, ‘Hunts,’ in my head, ‘Don’t hit him, don’t hit him, don’t —’ POW,” Fraser said. “He blasts him right in the back in the numbers, drives his head into the boards. I haven’t called a penalty in 58 minutes. Up goes my arm. It has to be called.”

Stéphane Richer scored the game winner on the ensuing power play. The then-director of officiating, John McCauley, vocally supported Fraser when he was surrounded by reporters the next day. For Game 4, Fraser was the stand-by ref, and he bumped into Don Cherry in the press box bathroom between periods. Cherry chewed Fraser out for the call, for not letting the players “decide the outcome of the game.”

“I was young, very young, and I was arrogant,” Fraser said. “Let’s call me confident. I got into it with Cherry. I said, ‘You’re full of s—, this stuff that you talk about, ‘Let the players decide the outcome of the game.’ And I gave him John McCauley’s line: ‘If I wasn’t going to make that call, I might as well (have) come into your TV room, sat on my ass beside you and watched the game on TV.’ I said, ‘That’s what we’re there for.’”

It’s Game 4 of an increasingly heated series between the Wild and Stars, and the Foligno is being inexplicably — in his mind, at least — sent to the box for the second time, this one late in the third period of a one-goal game, his Wild trailing 2-1.

“F—ing joke!” he yells at referee Garrett Rank.

Earlier in the game, Foligno had been called for interference for what looked like good old-fashioned forechecking, hitting Stars defenseman Jani Hakenpää behind the Dallas net, while the puck was still at Hakenpää’s feet. Dallas scored on that power play. Now he’s being sent off for tripping for, what, missing a hit along the boards on Mason Marchment ? Marchment did a “Matrix” move to avoid Foligno’s hit, and in the process, their left skates touched, sending Marchment to the ice.

Dallas again scores on the ensuing power play. The Wild lose 3-2, evening the series.

There is accountability for NHL officials, believe it or not, even if they’re now shielded from reporters and never hung out to dry by the league. There’s a logger watching each game in the league’s situation room, jotting down notes on every penalty — and every perceived missed call — throughout the game. Through a program called Video Cast, these logs are available to each ref, updated in real time, on their laptops either in the locker room between periods or back at the hotel after a game. The cleaner your logs, the more high-profile games you’re likely to officiate. It’s a meritocracy — in theory, at least.

Every ref goes over every entry after every game. And it’s not always a pleasant experience.

“If you miss a call, or make a call that’s not the best call, it sticks with you,” Jackson said. “You won’t sleep well that night. Guys just want to be perfect, and it’s an unattainable goal.”

Let’s clear up a few other half-truths, myths and misconceptions while we’re at it. Do refs “manage the game,” trying to keep power plays relatively even? Sure. Within reason, and not always — some teams are just more aggressive, reckless and penalty-prone than others (that sound you just heard was Islanders fans screaming into the void about that 6-0 Game 2 power-play disparity).

Do refs come in with agendas? Not exactly. But they’re aware of the vibe a series has going in. The officials are usually changed out every game in every series, but each series also has a supervisor who attends every game. They’ll huddle with the refs before each game to give them a sense of how the series has gone, if tempers have been flaring, if there were any cheap shots from the previous game that could have consequences in the next, if there are too many post-whistle scrums happening and if there’s a need to rein everybody in and lower the temperature by calling it extra tight in the early going. (The officials will usually give the coaches a heads-up about that last part, so they can let their players know that they won’t be able to get away with much on a given night.)

Can a linesman call a penalty? Only if it’s a high stick that draws blood, teeth or some other obvious injury; there has to be actual evidence of the stick foul. In lieu of that, could Gawryletz (the linesman) have somehow signaled to Charron (the referee) if he had seen the Martinook high stick and Charron hadn’t? In theory, it could happen, if they’re very fast and very surreptitious about it. In practice, it almost never does, and, legally speaking, isn’t allowed.

Do all refs call a game the same way? Of course not. They’re only human, and every call (save for fights and blood-drawing high sticks) is subjective. And just like players scout that evening’s goalie for weaknesses and soft spots, savvy veterans know each ref’s foibles and tendencies.

“You get a feel for how a game will be reffed right off the bat,” New Jersey’s Smith said. “You understand what’s going to happen in the first five or 10 minutes. And you also have to do your homework with your refs. Some refs see something more than others. So whether it’s someone who likes to call a lot of hooks, or somebody that likes to call a lot of cross-checks, or somebody that likes to call a lot of trips, you’ve got to be aware of these things and play accordingly. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

The older vets like Smith and Kane, they get it. They understand how difficult the referee’s job is, how deeply the officials care about making the right call (or non-call), how imperfect a science it is, and how thankless a job it is.

Not that it’ll stop them — or their teammates, or their coaches, or their general manager, or their fans — from going ballistic when they don’t like one of those calls.

It’s OK. The refs are used to it. It’s just part of the gig.

“You don’t go into the business of officiating if you want accolades,” Jackson said. “You really need to have strong self-affirmation skills. It sounds corny, but if you can look yourself in the mirror after the game and if you’re honest with yourself, you know when you’ve done a good job and you know when you’ve been less than stellar. And when you know you did a good job, that’s enough affirmation for me. It doesn’t matter who’s mad at me.”

— The Athletic ’s Michael Russo contributed to this report.

(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)

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Mark Lazerus is a senior NHL writer for The Athletic based out of Chicago. He has covered the Blackhawks for 11 seasons for The Athletic and the Chicago Sun-Times after covering Notre Dame’s run to the BCS championship game in 2012-13. Before that, he was the sports editor of the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana. Follow Mark on Twitter @ MarkLazerus

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Become a Referee

The first step to becoming an official is to approach your local officiating governing body, i.e. Canada (Hockey Canada), USA (USA Hockey), or your local league office. This will put you in contact with other officials to set you on your way.

The next step is to get out there and “just do it”. Experience is the key to your success. Any game experience is invaluable, regardless of the level of hockey played. Progression to better games comes in time. ANY game is a good game to officiate. You will inevitably draw from all your experiences and grow as a well rounded official.

Training is available to you by way of official training schools and camps as well as power skating sessions in both Canada and The USA These are key factors in your development as they will give you the technical skill set needed. Many of the people who instruct, are current or former officials in the NHL, who have been students at these very same training camps and schools.

Some of the topics that are emphasized include, on ice positioning, signals, penalty calling, skating skills, and off ice theory sessions to give you a sense of the game

Present at these official’s schools are representatives of leagues such as the NHL, AHL, ECHL, Canadian Major Junior Hockey Leagues, and USA Hockey associations. These representatives are there to help develop and encourage young officials to further their careers in officiating.

Make no mistake about it, fitness is a key factor in your success as an official, Fitness is measured and monitored closely by the league to ensure the staff are ready and able to do the job, game in and game out.

Remember, whether you are a first time official, have some experience, or are looking to officiate after or during a playing career (at any level). The key to your success is you. You need to get out there and just do it

HOCKEY CANADA OFFICIATING PROGRAM For more info on how to get started with Hockey Canada, click here: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/hockey-programs/officiating/how-to-get-started

USA HOCKEY OFFICIATING PROGRAM For more info on how to get started with USA Hockey, click here: http://www.usahockey.com/officials

NHL OFFICIATING AMATEUR EXPOSURE COMBINE Looking for a way to earn a living in the NHL? The NHL is holding every summer an NHL Officiating Exposure Combine for current and former hockey players looking to stay in the game, while learning a different side of hockey. Officiating is a fast-paced, high-energy profession with the best view in the arena for games and is in need of great athletes to serve the game as officials. The Combine’s focus is on high level hockey players with little or no officiating experience. The Combine is accepting ex-college (D1, DII, DIII), University (CIS) and Junior hockey players or with or without any professional experience. Several attendees have been hired by the NHL as officials in the past few years. For more information on this program, please click on the link below.

https://secure.nhl.com/nhlexposurecombine/

What do NHL referees think of Flyers coach John Tortorella? The answer may surprise you

Ian Walsh only recently retired after 24 years as an NHL referee. The Philadelphia native who first started calling games as a teenager in the Delaware Valley hung up his stripes in August after officiating more than 1,300 NHL matches.

And now, whenever he’s speaking with a group of people, or kids approach him wanting to know more about his past professional life, there’s one individual he frequently used to cross paths with who comes up more than any other.

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“It’s always (John) Tortorella,” Walsh told The Athletic in a phone interview on Sunday.

The 65-year-old Philadelphia Flyers coach, of course, has become known for his emotional outbursts over the years, whether it be sparring with the media, confronting other coaches or demonstratively challenging officials over what he believes are dubious calls.

It was that last one on Saturday in Tampa Bay, when Tortorella was tossed from the Flyers’ 7-0 loss to the Lightning midway through the first period after seemingly getting upset with a few early penalties, and then not promptly departing to the visitors dressing room when he was given the boot by referee Wes McCauley.

On Sunday, the league announced Tortorella was suspended for two games and fined $50,000 for “unprofessional conduct directed at the officials by refusing to leave the bench area after being assessed a game misconduct.” He will miss Flyers home games against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday and Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Flyers coach John Tortorella suspended 2 games

Considering Tortorella has now been fined 13 times in excess of $200,000 over his career, it must figure that he doesn’t have too many supporters among the men in stripes.

Not according to Walsh and fellow former referee Dave Jackson, who retired in 2018 and is now a rules analyst for ESPN.

“John was a real fair guy to deal with,” Walsh said. “He could give it to you, and you could also give it right back. He had his say and I had my say at times. We’ve had some battles, but once it was over, it was over. It wasn’t like hanging around the rest of the game, or the next time you saw their team. It was done. It was in the moment. He’s obviously an emotional coach on the bench but he was real fair to deal with.”

Said Jackson: “He was always one of my favorite coaches. You knew exactly where you stood with Torts. He would leave you alone for the most part. He wouldn’t try and work you for calls. He just let you do your job, until it got to the point where he felt he had no choice and he had to let you know what he thought. I’m going to say 99 percent of the time, he would say it and then he’d be done with it. You’d go talk to him next period about something that was said earlier and he’d say, ‘Hey, Dave, it’s over. It’s forgotten.’ I had a lot of time for John. Very emotional but very honest, and not mean-spirited.”

Tortorella apparently crossed a line on Saturday, at least from McCauley’s point of view, although the league press release was light on details.

Three of the calls, in particular, seemed a bit ticky-tack, including a hold on Ronnie Attard at 4:31 that led to a Lightning power-play goal, a trip on Attard that really got Tortorella’s blood up when the Flyers defenseman and Tampa Bay’s Mikey Eyssimont were going for a loose puck and incidentally got their skates tangled, and a 10-minute misconduct on Garnet Hathaway for bumping the Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli between whistles. The Attard and Hathaway penalties helped result in the Lightning upping their lead to 4-0 with another power-play marker.

Then Tortorella exploded.

Most referees will give a coach some leeway when it comes to salty language, and it doesn’t take a master lip reader to understand a good portion of Tortorella’s tirade was NSFW. While that was caught on camera, those sorts of interactions are perhaps more common than many realize, according to Walsh.

“A lot of times between the coaches and referees it’s just a whole lot of f— yous, and shut the f— up. Things like that,” Walsh said. “That doesn’t really bother anybody.”

But every official has a threshold before he’s heard enough.

“This would have been a progressive situation,” said Kerry Fraser, who spent 30 years as an NHL referee before retiring in 2010, via text message. “I don’t know if Torts became personal in his comments to the referee, but rest assured something took place that escalated the situation in the ref’s judgment and triggered him to remove (Tortorella) from behind the bench.

“Looking at the game situation at that point, it is logical that any coach would be frustrated with his team’s poor start. Most of those goals would be deemed weak, to compound the frustration and negative emotions the coach would be feeling. The veteran referee would certainly understand this and allow the coach some leeway to vent but not if he was using the officials as an excuse for his players’ poor performance and, as I said, if comments and or gestures became personal.”

Whatever happened, Tortorella escalated the situation by not leaving right away, in what assistant coach Brad Shaw labeled “a bit of a protest.”

It was a unique situation, and judging by the wording of the press release from the league, is the primary reason Tortorella is getting the week off.

There’s really not much a referee can do in that situation, either. Another delay of game penalty could have been added to the minor penalty Tortorella already received with his game misconduct, but “I think that would be kind of piling on,” Jackson said. “Yes, he could have, but I think (McCauley) used good judgment in not pouring gas on this fire.”

Forfeiting the game is technically on the table too, but …

“That obviously is never going to happen at that level,” Walsh said. “But at some point, you’ve just got to hope that a guy like Brad Shaw is on the bench or (Flyers captain Sean) Couturier says, ‘John, you’ve got to go. Stop. This is not good for the league. It’s not good for anybody.’”

McCauley, replays showed, seemed content to just wait Tortorella out. There was also a suggestion from former referee Paul Stewart that McCauley was standing up for his partner and young referee Brandon Schrader, who made the tripping call on Attard.

“I really admire Wes’ self-control actually, he didn’t make it about himself like you sometimes see in baseball where it’s the big arm toss and they throw out the coach and they’re right in his face, confrontational,” Jackson said. “Wes was across the ice, arms folded, standing there, and he was talking to the players. I’m sure he was telling them, ‘Look, I can wait here all day. If you guys have a plane to catch, we’re not going to drop the puck until he leaves.’

“We’ll just wait him out, because we have more time than he does.”

(Photo: Mike Carlson / NHLI via Getty Images)

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Kevin Kurz is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Philadelphia. He previously covered the New York Islanders and the San Jose Sharks for 10+ years and worked in the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Follow Kevin on Twitter @ KKurzNHL

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‘We fully expected the worst.’ Mooresville officials receive results from sinkhole water contamination testing

MOORESVILLE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) – Mooresville officials said they were ‘pleasantly surprised’ by water quality testing results after a sinkhole sent contaminants into a stream that feeds into Lake Norman.

A 40-foot-wide crater opened up off Highway 150 in the Tire Masters parking lot, and it forced the long-standing business to close in February.

‘From the beginning.’ Mooresville leaders address massive sinkhole repair plans

Environmental experts were concerned about coal ash leaking from the sinkhole into the water supply. Town leaders conducted a series of quality tests and hired an independent lab to also test water around the sinkhole and where the affected tributaries empty into the lake.

Mayor Chris Carney said they knew the drinking water supply was safe but did not know what to expect from toxin levels in the stream.

“They were surprisingly good. I mean, we fully expected kind of the worst,” Carney said.

Town leaders paid Pace Analytical to inspect the water quality. Their report shows the amounts of heavy metals and radioactive materials are both within the safe parameters outlined in state standards. More here.

Queen City News reached out to the company to discuss the findings but did not hear back.

Mooresville authorities said they have consistently monitored the area’s drinking water and it was not impacted.

“We never had anything that even began to make us believe our drinking water had been in any way because we test that, I mean, multiple times a day already. We weren’t seeing any kind of creep of anything that made us concerned that way,” Carney said. “It was more of just the idea of we just can’t allow a stream that enters the lake to have this kind of contamination in it. So, we’re happy to have gotten ahead of that.”

Officials said Lake Norman is safe for activities.

Investigators blame the ground collapse on a poorly installed storm water pipe from decades ago.

“A lot of people are looking to blame somebody other than that, and that really that’s just not true,” Carney said. “If this pipe had been installed correctly, we wouldn’t be sitting where we are right now.”

Carney said this is a one-time examination. He said they would be open to retesting the area if it became necessary.

“Our understanding is this is as intensive a test as we can get,” he said. We’re obviously going to test a little bit of groundwater to make sure that we’re not missing something from that.”

The mayor said his employees will now inspect more pipes, especially older facilities they did not install.

“The good news is this is one more lesson learned. Even stormwater pipes that are on private land, if it’s going to bleed into like a public water system, we need to go and inspect it too. We’re definitely taking notes and changing our policy because of it,” he said.

Carney said the town will purchase the property the sinkhole sits on and will start making repairs this summer. Duke Energy crews will begin cleaning remnants of the coal ash from the stream the week of May 20. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.

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Breaking news, dave portnoy unloads on referees during caitlin clark’s wnba debut after huge bet.

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Dave Portnoy gave the referees and coaches some business advice during Caitlin Clark’s uneven WNBA debut on Tuesday.

“Dear WNBA, nobody is watching if Caitlin Clark is on the bench so maybe tell your idiotic refs not to call two ticky tac fouls on her 5 seconds into the game,” Portnoy said in a post on X during the Fever’s 92-71 loss to the Sun on opening night for the WNBA. “How dumb are you people?”

Portnoy had wagered $25,000 on the Fever to cover the eight-point spread, which they did not come close to accomplishing.

Clark was called for two questionable fouls while guarding Alyssa Thomas, one just 1:47 into the game and the second 4:51 into the game, after which she was taken out.

It was a quick hook for the star rookie who has garnered much fanfare as ESPN broadcasted her debut in primetime, and fans waited in line to get into a sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena to see her debut.

Clark started the game 0-for-3 from the field and she struggled to get into a groove until the second half.

But by then, her Indiana Fever were down 10 points, and their star rookie was having trouble holding onto the ball.

Clark ended the game with 10 turnovers and was clearly frustrated with the officiating as well as some sloppy play.

Clark did not score her first professional points until midway through the second quarter thanks to the unsettling start to the game.

Portnoy, the Barstool founder, was not the only one upset with how Clark was being treated by the refs.

“Caitlin Clark makes WNBA pro debut, gets called for two soft fouls within first five minutes,” X user @ EliavAppelbaum posted . “We all came here to watch Clark play basketball, not the refs go on a Mussolini power trip and call ticky-tack fouls. Amateur hour by the refs.”

Clark had seven points in the first half of her WNBA debut, going 2-for-7 from the field, but put up 13 in the second half.

Her second game will come at home on Thursday against one of the league’s best, the New York Liberty.

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Death threats, AI, prosecutions: how should we stop referee abuse?

Multiple approaches are needed to stem vitriol aimed at officials but it is clear that examples need to be set at the top

“Szymon Marciniak you son of a whore”. “Don’t come to Germany for your safety.” “How much money did you get?” “FUCK YOU MARCINIAK YOU DISGUSTING BASTARD #RMAFCB.”

This is a snapshot of X and Instagram after Bayern Munich crashed out of the Champions League last week. Marciniak’s crime? Blowing for offside too early, which meant that a possible Matthijs de Ligt equaliser could not be reviewed by the VAR. Even a freeze-frame image could not confirm whether De Ligt was onside or not. But that didn’t stop Bayern’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, saying the referee’s decision “felt like a betrayal” – or the bile on social media.

Really though, this could have been any sport, in any language, on any given day. This is the way we live now. That much was clear listening to Wayne Barnes, who refereed the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, talk almost prosaically a few days ago about the chilling threats he had received to his life, wife and kids for merely doing his job. “As referees we don’t mind getting criticised,” he told Sport Resolutions’ annual conference. “But on the back of the Rugby World Cup there were threats of sexual violence to my wife, threats of violence against my children. And you’re like, is that really what sport is about?”

It’s not much better at grassroots level. As a senior tennis official, Andrew Nicholas-Wynne told the conference abuse from parents at junior events is now so bad that Tennis Australia has started giving umpires body cameras. Meanwhile Mike Riley, the former Premier League referee, pointed to the consequences. “Three years ago, we had 280,000 referees across Europe,” he said. “Now we have 240,000 and we are haemorrhaging referees at the rate of 20% a year.”

So how do we fix this? That is what Barnes, Nicholas-Wynne and Riley wanted to thrash out in their session at the conference, entitled Sport’s Overlooked Blind Spot: Addressing Abuse Against Match Officials. And tentatively there was a sliver of light amid the darkness, of more sports wanting to lance a festering boil, and having sharper tools to do it.

The first point that struck home was that, when social-media experts track online comments in real time, they find that post-match attacks by players, coaches and pundits – especially when they use loaded words such as “betrayal” – can lead to more abuse than the referee’s original decision. “We all know that as soon as someone in a position of responsibility makes a comment you get a pile on,” Barnes told his audience. “And when you’ve then got people saying ‘we know where your kids go to school’, it plays with your mind.”

It’s hard to stop pundits being pundits, but when it comes to players and coaches, Barnes suggested that stronger punishments would help “concentrate the mind”. He cited the £10,000 fine dished out to Jack Nowell last year, when he was playing for Exeter, after he tweeted that a sending off of a teammate was “one of the worst decisions I have ever seen” as an example.

A second related point: players at grassroots level copy what goes on at elite level. Therefore the tone from the top is vital. Riley hailed English football for “leading the way” in introducing heavier fines for when players crowd officials – including Manchester City receiving a £120,000 punishment during their 3-3 draw with Tottenham last December. And when clubs such as Arsenal and Leicester Tigers go after their own fans for abusing officials – whether it is in the ground or online – it makes it clear that such behaviour is not acceptable.

Third, artificial intelligence technology now exists to detect, identify and provide police with evidence of abuse, along with the antagonists behind it, even when they hide behind pseudonyms. Barnes noted World Rugby’s groundbreaking initiative with the data company Signify AI, which led to an Australian being successfully prosecuted last month after a referee and his wife received threatening and abusive messages via Facebook during the World Cup. Of course such technology isn’t cheap, and the number of prosecutions is still very low. But when organisations such as World Rugby and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) invest in it, it sends a message to those making threats and those in the firing line. As Signify’s Jake Marsh’s put it to me: “Those on the receiving end in sport want more done about abuse. You can’t walk down the street and issue a death threat. But people just think they can say what they want online with impunity. So even if it is just one prosecution for now, it has an impact because athletes and officials know something can be done.”

There was another point that struck home when chatting to Nicholas-Wynne. For all the criticism of technology in sport, one unappreciated benefit is that it has lowered the number of game-altering mistakes by referees and umpires – which, in theory, should lead to less abuse. Sure, it is not always that simple. But before Hawk-Eye, how many times were line judges snarled at by top tennis stars? Technology has clearly helped cricket and rugby too. And while VAR has its issues, it does usually protect officials from their most egregious mistakes.

The panel ended with a plea for sport to find better ways to humanise referees. Riley, for instance, noted that, when officials went into Premier League clubs in pre-season and got to know the players, they were less likely to be insulted by them during matches.

Meanwhile, Barnes suggested that if fans got to know officials better, perhaps by them explaining their decisions afterwards, the levels of online abuse might drop. “People just seem to think that we rock up to just ruin their afternoons,” he said. “But if they see that we love the game, they might find it slightly harder to abuse us. One of the reasons why there’s so much social media abuse is because you don’t know your victim.”

That might be wishful thinking. But Barnes’s broader point – that referees try their best and don’t deserve the staggering levels of bile that comes their way – emphatically hit home. And, as he also pointed out, if we continue to chase the best officials away, how will it make things any better?

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here .

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Gagarin Cup Preview: Atlant vs. Salavat Yulaev

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Gagarin cup (khl) finals:  atlant moscow oblast vs. salavat yulaev ufa.

Much like the Elitserien Finals, we have a bit of an offense vs. defense match-up in this league Final.  While Ufa let their star top line of Alexander Radulov, Patrick Thoresen and Igor Grigorenko loose on the KHL's Western Conference, Mytischi played a more conservative style, relying on veterans such as former NHLers Jan Bulis, Oleg Petrov, and Jaroslav Obsut.  Just reaching the Finals is a testament to Atlant's disciplined style of play, as they had to knock off much more high profile teams from Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg to do so.  But while they did finish 8th in the league in points, they haven't seen the likes of Ufa, who finished 2nd. 

This series will be a challenge for the underdog, because unlike some of the other KHL teams, Ufa's top players are generally younger and in their prime.  Only Proshkin amongst regular blueliners is over 30, with the work being shared by Kirill Koltsov (28), Andrei Kuteikin (26), Miroslav Blatak (28), Maxim Kondratiev (28) and Dmitri Kalinin (30).  Oleg Tverdovsky hasn't played a lot in the playoffs to date.  Up front, while led by a fairly young top line (24-27), Ufa does have a lot of veterans in support roles:  Vyacheslav Kozlov , Viktor Kozlov , Vladimir Antipov, Sergei Zinovyev and Petr Schastlivy are all over 30.  In fact, the names of all their forwards are familiar to international and NHL fans:  Robert Nilsson , Alexander Svitov, Oleg Saprykin and Jakub Klepis round out the group, all former NHL players.

For Atlant, their veteran roster, with only one of their top six D under the age of 30 (and no top forwards under 30, either), this might be their one shot at a championship.  The team has never won either a Russian Superleague title or the Gagarin Cup, and for players like former NHLer Oleg Petrov, this is probably the last shot at the KHL's top prize.  The team got three extra days rest by winning their Conference Final in six games, and they probably needed to use it.  Atlant does have younger regulars on their roster, but they generally only play a few shifts per game, if that. 

The low event style of game for Atlant probably suits them well, but I don't know how they can manage to keep up against Ufa's speed, skill, and depth.  There is no advantage to be seen in goal, with Erik Ersberg and Konstantin Barulin posting almost identical numbers, and even in terms of recent playoff experience Ufa has them beat.  Luckily for Atlant, Ufa isn't that far away from the Moscow region, so travel shouldn't play a major role. 

I'm predicting that Ufa, winners of the last Superleague title back in 2008, will become the second team to win the Gagarin Cup, and will prevail in five games.  They have a seriously well built team that would honestly compete in the NHL.  They represent the potential of the league, while Atlant represents closer to the reality, as a team full of players who played themselves out of the NHL. 

• Atlant @ Ufa, Friday Apr 8 (3:00 PM CET/10:00 PM EST)
• Atlant @ Ufa, Sunday Apr 10 (1:00 PM CET/8:00 AM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Tuesday Apr 12 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Thursday Apr 14 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)

Games 5-7 are as yet unscheduled, but every second day is the KHL standard, so expect Game 5 to be on Saturday, like an early start. 

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Category: Tonight’s Officials: NHL

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/16/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 16, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Thursday’s NHL officials for Game 6 between the Rangers and Hurricanes, and Game 5 between the Oilers and Canucks. Tonight’s Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 16, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/15/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 15, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Game 5 between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. Wednesday’s Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 15, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/14/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 14, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Bruins vs. Panthers Game 5 and Canucks vs. Oilers Game 4. Tuesday’s Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 14, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/13/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 13, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Hurricanes vs. Rangers Game 5 and Stars vs. Avalanche Game 4. Monday’s Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 13, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/12/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 12, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Panther vs. Bruins Game 4 and Canucks vs. Oilers Game 3. The Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 12, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/11/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 11, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Rangers vs. Hurricanes Game 4 and Stars vs. Avalanche Game 3. The Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 11, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/10/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 10, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Panthers vs. Bruins Game 3 and Oilers vs. Canucks Game 2. The Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 10, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/9/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 9, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Thursday’s NHL officials for Rangers/Hurricanes Game 3 and Avs/Stars Game 2. The Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 9, 2024:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/8/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 8, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Tonight’s NHL officials for Bruins/Panthers Game 2 and Oilers/Canucks Game 1. The Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linespersons for May 8:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/7/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 7, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with Hurricanes/Rangers Game 2 and Avalanche/Stars Game 1. Tuesday’s NHL Referees and Linespersons for May 7:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/6/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 6, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs continued with Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1. Tonight’s NHL Referees and Linespersons for May 6:

Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 5/5/24

by scoutingtherefs | May 5, 2024 | NHL , Tonight's Officials: NHL | 0

We’re starting Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Canes/Rangers) and wrapping up Round 1 with Golden Knights/Stars Game 7. Tonight’s NHL Referees and Linespersons for May 5:

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