10 Famous NHL Hockey Referees Of All Time are Trevor Hanson, Tim Peel, Kelly Sutherland, Wes McCauley, and 6 others.
A referee is an individual who is assigned to the play area to enforce rules and regulations. They ensure that the game is conducted fairly and as per the guidelines.
NHL is a contact sport and it involves fighting. Thus, a referee plays a vital role in maintaining the chaos, calling penalties, and handling disputed situations.
Some of the popular referees in the National Hockey League are listed below:
Trevor Hanson is a referee for the National Hockey League with jersey number 14. He has been a NHL Officials Association(NHLOA) member since 2012.
Hanson played the athletic game as a junior for the Grandview Steelers, South Surrey Eagles, and North Delta Flyers. Gradually, he began officiating in the minor leagues.
The league hired him on a contract basis in 2012 and he was promoted to a full-time official in 2015. Until September 2022, he served in 511 games during the regular season and 26 games during playoffs.
Trevor's debuted in a match between Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars on 24 October 2013. He first appeared in the postseason on 12 April 2017.
Kelly Sutherland joined NHLOA in 2000 and wears a jersey with the number 11. He is active in the arena and governs the players' conduct.
Sutherland has decent physicality which helps him to enforce rules. He calls for penalties and checks if the goal has been secured.
Kelly was hired by the hockey tournament more than 2 decades earlier. By September 2022, he has appeared in 1389 and 216 games in the regular season and playoffs respectively.
Sutherland's debut game with the league was on 19 December 2000 between L.A. Kings and Atlanta Thrashers. He appeared in the first NHL playoff on 9 April 2003.
Francis Charron has been a Canadian ref for the ice hockey league since 2009. He dons the uniform number 6 and supervises the game in the arena.
Charron kicked his career as a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League linesman. He was promoted to the referee of the league in 2003.
Francis signed a deal with the league on 25 August 2009. He debuted in a game between Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues on 5 April 2010.
Charron's playoff debut was on 18 April 2014 in a game between Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.
How Many Refs In NHL Game?
There are 2 refs in an NHL game. Referees supervise the games and they are distinguished by their red or orange armbands.
At the league's inception, there was one referee and one linesman. The games continued in the same pattern for almost 60 years(two-referee systems were implemented for a brief time).
There was pressure for the ref to cover the whole ice arena. Also, the single individual had a problem tracking every infraction and dispute.
National Hockey League introduced 3 officials: 2 linesmen and a referee in the 1941-42 season. In 1998-99, the system of 2 refs was implemented as a trial.
The merits of having 2 refs outweighed the drawbacks. As a result, it was fully executed beginning from the 2000-01 season. The lead ref stays in the corner next to the goal line while the other one stays in the neutral zone.
In case of injuries to a linesman or a referee, the game will continue with the officials that are available in the arena (3 or less).
Referee Assignments In A Playoff
NHL referee playoff assignments are determined by the league's officiating department. They have selected 20 referees for the 2023 postseason.
The high-performing and efficient referees are selected for the playoff. They are chosen based on merit in the regular season rather than seniority.
Kendrick Nicholson debuted in the postseason this year, and Francis is also back after healing from a long-term injury. Tom Chmielewski and Brian Pochmara are the stand-by referees this season.
The referees who are a part of the 2023 Stanley Cup are listed below:
Jake Brenk
Francis Charron
Gord Dwyer
Eric Furlatt
Steve Kozari
Garrett Rank
Kelly Sutherland
Jon McIsaac
Trevor Hanson
Chris Lee
Jean Hebert
Frederick L'Ecuyer
T. J. Luxmore
Kendrick Nicholson
Wes McCauley
Kevin Pollock
Dan O'Rourke
Chris Rooney
Kyle Rehman
Graham Skilliter
Similarly, the league linesmen for the current season are Shandor Alphonso, James Tobias, Jonny Murray, Michel Cormier, Kyle Flemington, and 15 more.
Hockey Referee Salary
NHL hockey referee salary ranges from $200,000 to $430,000. The payment of the refs increases with the growing experience.
In the regular seasons, refs make $4,000-$5,000 per game on average as reported by ScoutingTheRefs. However, regular income also depends on the years of service to the league.
The new officials are handed a paycheck of $200,000 per year. However, a ref with 15 years of expertise can make $430,000 or more.
Refs receive $27,000 per round for their service in the playoff. Although the postseason consists of many games(overtime), a ref can work in up to seven games in a round.
The standby refs make significantly less. They earn $1K in the building and receive $2,750 if they can enter the arena.
Referees receive financial compensation for injury. They are eligible for settlement if they get wounded after half games of the regular season or after providing service in 37 games.
The payout is based on the number of playoff rounds that the ref worked in the prior season. The ref with less than 6 years of service will receive 50% while the one with more than 6 years will make 75%.
How Much Does An NHL Linesman Make?
NHL linesman salary ranges between $137,000 to $228,000. It depends upon the experience and years of service to the league.
Linesmen have a lesser paycheck as compared to refs. The debutante linesman made a whopping $137,000 in his first year followed by an increasing payout yearly.
After 15 years of service to the ice hockey league, they are expected to receive $228,000. The standby linemen make $650 for waiting outside the arena and $1,775 for getting into the game.
In the playoffs, linesmen make $17,250 per round($9,750 lesser than refs). Despite that, it is decent pay since they have less workload than referees.
Linesmen are also compensated for their injuries in the same way as the referees. They receive either 50% or 75% of their potential postseason fees.
If a linesman gets wounded after half season, he will gain a payout of $51,750 (75%) or $34,5000 (50%) based on $17,250 for four rounds of playoff.
Referee Certification
USA hockey referee certification is a program launched to provide training and education for the officials of the minor and major ice hockey leagues.
The program does not have an age limit for officiating. However, consulting with a District Referee-in-Chief is encouraged because of child labor laws.
The certification provides knowledge of a hockey game's positioning, regulations, policies, etc. It also teaches the trainee to make the right decision on the ice.
The program is divided into four levels, turning the individual into a proficient ref. Each level is more challenging than before and requires elevated skill and experience.
Since the hockey league referee is among the highest paying jobs, youths are more enticed by it. However, it is more challenging than it seems to watch from the stadium or TV.
To be a certified hockey referee and to enroll in the course, follow the given steps:
Visit the site of USA Hockey and click on "Become A Member" from the top-right corner.
Tap on "Register Now" and confirm your age.
Click Next and answer a few questions/ fill in the details.
Your account/email/contact details will be verified after that.
You will have to pay a certain amount to enroll in the course.
You will receive the online modules once you checkout.
If the trainee is 17 or younger, they must complete a SafeSport training first. Only after that they will be eligible to join the certification program.
The participant has to undergo background screening if they are 18 or older. Once you finish the required hours of training, you will be handed a certificate.
