In ice hockey, an official is responsible for enforcing the rules and maintaining order. On-ice officials are present on the ice during the game, and traditionally wear a shirt with black and white vertical stripes. The National Hockey League (NHL) currently employs four on-ice officials in each game—two referees and two linesmen. Referees are identified by their red or orange armbands. They are responsible for the general supervision of the game, assess penalties, and conduct face-offs at the beginning of each period and after a goal is scored. When play is stopped for another reason, the face-offs are conducted by the linesmen. The linesmen are primarily responsible for violations involving the centre line and blue lines, such as icing and offside infractions.
Since 1994-95 season, picking up where it left off from 1977, all of the officials wear numbers rather than last names.
Current officials
editNotes:
- #35 (referee) and #85 (linesman) are spare numbers; they are not issued to anyone, and are only worn in the event that a game-assigned official's equipment is lost in transit.
- #72 is retired in honor of late linesman Stephane Provost, who died in 2005.
- #99 was retired league-wide in 2000 to honour Wayne Gretzky.
Former NHL officials
edit
Don Adam [49]
Derek Amell - Reid Anderson
- Blaine Angus
- Neil Armstrong
Malcolm Ashford - George Ashley (October 14, 1941 – April 8, 2024) – Deceased
- John Ashley – Deceased
- Ron Asselstine
- Stephane Auger [50]
- Charlie Banfield
- David Banfield
- Bill Beagan [51]
- Claude Bechard (November 2, 1938 – July 5, 2007) – Deceased
- Bob Best
- Ken Bodendistel (1940 – November 21, 2013) – Deceased
- Wayne Bonney
- Ryan Bozak
- Gord Broseker
- John Brown
- Vern Buffey (December 26, 1928 – September 11, 1990) – Deceased
- Darcy Burchell
- Lonnie Cameron [52]
- Brent Casselman
- Bill Chadwick – Deceased[53]
- Pierre Champoux
- Jim Christison (September 13, 1946 – November 30, 2016) – Deceased[54]
- Chris Ciamaga
- King Clancy – Deceased
- David Clutsam
- Kevin Collins [55]
- Mike Cvik [56]
- Angelo D'Amico
- John D'Amico – Deceased
- Pat Dapuzzo [57]
- Bernard DeGrace
- Greg Devorski [58]
- Paul Devorski [59]
- Steve Dowling
- James Doyle
- Scott Driscoll [60]
- Ron Ego
- Chaucer Elliott – Deceased
- Joe Ernst
- Mark Faucette
- Ron Finn
- Paul Flaherty
- Wayne Forsey
- Ron Fournier [61]
- Bob Frampton – Deceased
- Kerry Fraser [62]
- Bill Friday [63]
- Gerard Gauthier
- Doug Geiger
- Darren Gibbs [64]
- Roger Gilbertson
- Lloyd Gilmour (August 19, 1927 – August 11, 2010) – Deceased
- John Grandt
- Terry Gregson
- Conrad Hache
- Bob Hall
- Ron Harris – Deceased
- Wally Harris
- Mike Hasenfratz
- George Hayes – Deceased
- Don Henderson
- Bob Henry
- Bobby Hewitson – Deceased
- Shane Heyer
- Scott Hoberg
- Bob Hodges
- Ron Hoggarth
- Bruce Hood – Deceased[65]
- Mickey Ion – Deceased
- Dave Jackson [66]
- Marc Joannette [67]
- Greg Kimmerly [68]
- Swede Knox – Deceased
- Don Koharski [69]
- Tom Kowal [70]
- Bob Langdon [71]
- Dennis LaRue
- Brad Lazarowich [72]
- Mike Leggo [73]
- Alfie LeJeune (September 19, 1945 – October 17, 2012) – Deceased
- Mark Lemelin
- Bryan Lewis [74]
- Dave Lewis
- Bob Luther
- Brian Mach [75]
- Dan Marouelli
- Rob Martell [76]
- Bill McCreary [77]
- John McCauley – Deceased
- Dan McCourt [78]
- Andy McElman [79]
- Michael McGeough – Deceased[80]
- Pat Meehan
- Brad Meier [81]
- Steve Miller [82]
- Randy Mitton
- Denis Morel
- Jean Morin [83]
- Dean Morton [84]
- Brian Murphy [85]
- Bob Myers
- Kory Nagy [86]
- Thor Nelson [87]
- Dave Newell (February 25, 1945 – December 16, 2018) – Deceased[88]
- Mike Noeth 1
- Will Norris
- Tim Nowak
- Conor O'Donnell [89]
- Dan O'Halloran [90]
- Mark Pare
- Dennis Parish
- Baron Parker
Jerry Pateman [91]- Matt Pavelich
- Tim Peel
- Stephane Provost – Deceased
- Pierre Racicot
- Lance Roberts
- Mike Rodden – Deceased
- Vaughan Rody [92]
Evgeny Romasko [93]- Ian Sandercock
- Troy Sartison
- Ray Scapinello [94]
- Dan Schachte – Deceased[95]
- Jay Sharrers [96]
- Lyle Seitz
- Anthony Sericolo
- Jamie Seward
- Randy Shantz
- Pat Shetler
- Harry David Shewchyk
- Rob Shick [97]
- Sam Sisco
- Art Skov – Deceased
- Cooper Smeaton – Deceased
- Ag Smith – Deceased
- Craig Spada
- Paul Stewart [98]
- Leon Stickle
- Red Storey – Deceased
- Ted Topping (September 27, 1923 – May 24, 2016) – Deceased
- Richard Trottier
- Frank Udvari
- Andy Van Hellemond
- Don Van Massenhoven [99]
- Mark Vines
Marcus Vinnerborg - Cameron Voss
- Stephen Walkom
- Ian Walsh
- Dean Warren
- Brad Watson
- Ken Wheler
- Mark Wheler [100]
- Ron Wicks – Deceased[101]
- Scott Zelkin
- 1 Noeth was hired to NHL contract at age 20, at that time the youngest referee ever hired by the NHL.
Officials in the Hockey Hall of Fame
edit| Year inducted | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Chaucer Elliott | 
|
| 1961 | Mickey Ion |
|
| 1961 | Cooper Smeaton |
|
| 1962 | Mike Rodden |
|
| 1963 | Bobby Hewitson |
|
| 1964 | Bill Chadwick | 
|
| 1967 | Red Storey |
|
| 1973 | Frank Udvari |
|
| 1981 | John Ashley |
|
| 1987 | Matt Pavelich |
|
| 1988 | George Hayes |
|
| 1991 | Neil Armstrong |
|
| 1993 | John D'Amico |
|
| 1999 | Andy Van Hellemond |
|
| 2008 | Ray Scapinello |
|
| 2014 | Bill McCreary |
|
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