Stanley Cup NHL Finals Referees 2023

Steve Kozari is one of the Stanley Cup Final referees who joined the NHL Officials Association in the 2003-04 season. Kozari will officiate his fourth cup game in 2023.

Since becoming a member of NHLOA, the 50-year-old match official has dictated several games in the league, including his first title decider games appearance in 2014.

Kozari has been wearing the number 40 uniform from the early days when he started officiating in the national hockey league. Before making it to the big stage, he spent four years in the minor leagues. Steve got a promotion to a full-time position in the NHL in 2007.

In May 2021, in Glendale, Arizona, veteran ref Kozari reached a milestone by officiating his 1,000th regular season game in the NHL.

Wes McCauley is officiating his tenth Stanley Cup Finals in 2023. McCauley was a championship game referee for the first time in 2013.

Wes was born in Georgetown, Ontario, on January 11, 1972, to John McCauley, a legendary NHL official. In a classic case of "like father, like son," Wes pursued a career as a referee once his days as a player were behind him.

Fans on the internet are always confused about what number Wes McCauley is. The former Las Vegas Thunder defender now wears number four on the back of the uniform.

In June 2013, he was chosen to be part of the group of officials for the 2013 Championship between Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Since then, McCauley has been the regular, officiating every year from 2014 to 2022.

Dan O’Rourke is a National Hockey League ref from Alberta Canada. Dan is a former ice hockey player who played for the Erie Panthers in ECHL.

The 50-year-old was active as a professional player in the 90s, mainly from 1993 to 1997 when he played for teams like Panthers, Tulsa Oilers, Louisiana IceGators, and Houston Aeros.

Two years after retirement, O’Rourke entered match officiating and earned the NHLOA membership in September 1999. In his first year with a minor league contract from the NHL, he officiated 54 NHL games and 26 AHL games.

At first, Dan began his career as a linesman, but he later decided to try being a ref and stuck with that role. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Dan reached a landmark in December 2017 when he celebrated officiating his 1000th NHL Regular Season Game.

Chris Rooney worked his 1000-game breakthrough as an NHL referee in 2017. Rooney officiated his debut regular season game on Nov 22, 2000.

The Massachusetts native is very proud to have been a part of the USA Hockey Development Program, where he learned the basics of officiating. In 1999, Chris landed a role within the National Hockey League as a ref in the minor league.

Besides, Rooney donned the number 21 uniform at the beginning of his career but later switched to wearing the number 5 kit.

In 2003 Rooney received his first opportunity to officiate the NHL Playoffs. He was then selected to work at the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012 and again in 2013. The current Finals in 2023 will be his sixth time being recruited for this prestigious event.

Kelly Sutherland is a Canadian match official who has been working with the NHL since December 2000. Sutherland sports the number 11 jersey.

He reached a notable landmark during the game in Boston on March 24, 2016. It was his 1,000th regular season game in the National League.

Throughout his career, the 52-year-old has been to the Stanley Cup Finals nine times, orchestrated over 1,300 regular season games, and participated in more than 200 playoff matches as an umpire.

Sutherland officiated his first championship game in the 2010 Finals alongside Bill McCreary and Dan O'Halloran. The following year he got the privilege of overseeing the NHL main event but had to wait four years for his third Stanley Cup Finals cap in 2015.

Steve Barton is an NHL official selected as a linesman for the 2023 Finals. Barton has officiated over 1300 regular season games since 2000.

He started his career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and later went to the United States to work in various minor professional hockey leagues such as the ECHL, IHL, and AHL.

Then, at the age of 28 in 2000, Steve received an opportunity from the National Hockey League to work as a linesman on a minor league contract. This saw him divide his time between officiating games in the AHL and the NHL.

Later in the 2006-07 season, Barton emerged in the lineup for the championship refs for the first time when the Pittsburgh Penguins faced the Ottawa Senators.

Scott Cherrey has been under contract with the NHL since 2007. Cherrey is a former minor league hockey player who clinched the OHL Championship in 1994.

He served in the Ontario Hockey League (WHL), and Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) for a total of five seasons as an amateur referee.

The man who proudly sports uniform number 50 in the NHL also worked as a part-time hockey official in the American Hockey League (AHL) in his early years.

Before joining the NHL full-time in 2008, Steve spent a season officiating in the Minor Leagues. On October 6th, 2007, he had his first official NHL Regular Season Game that took place between the Capitols and Hurricanes in Washington, DC.

Furthermore, Cherrey completed his 1000th NHL season regular games in April 2022.

Brad Kovachik will be a match official crew for the 5th time in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 between Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights.

During an NHL matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2019, Kovachik joined a rare group of NHL officials who have managed 1500 Regular Season games in the league.

Kovachik started his journey with the National Hockey League in 1996 when he signed his first contract as a minor league linesman. Since then, he has dedicated 25 years of his life working according to the NHL referees schedule.

On October 10th, 1996, Kovachik had his first NHL game in Philadelphia during the Los Angeles Kings' trip to the Flyers. His hard work paid off, and in 1997, he was promoted to become a full-time NHL linesman.

Canadian official Kiel Murchison is a stand-by linesman for the 2023 NHL championship game who wears the number 79 uniform.

Murchison is the youngest of the match officiating squad for the Stanley Cup Finals. Besides, known for his excellent decision-making skills, he has been selected for NHL playoff referee assignments every year since 2012.

The Cloverdale, British Columbia native has dictated over 650 regular season games, along with 58 playoffs and two Finals in the National Hockey League. The 2023 Stanley Cup finale will be his third time acting as a linesman in the coveted main event.

Jonny Murray is an esteemed National Hockey League linesman adorned with the iconic number 95.

Murray was handpicked to officiate the fiercely contested 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. His exceptional officiating skills and adherence to fairness continued to shine through as he expertly managed the gripping matches of the 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.

Murray stepped onto the ice as an official for his first NHL game on October 7th, 2000. It was in Ottawa, where the Senators were hosting the Dallas Stars.

Sixteen years later, he had an incredible moment in December 2016 when he reached a significant landmark by refereeing his 1000th NHL game.