NHL shakes up officiating ranks with new refs joining the league

The NHL's officiating ranks are getting a significant shakeup heading into the 2026-27 campaign. A string of notable retirements created openings across the league's roster of on-ice officials, and the league has now moved to fill them with a mix of promotions and fresh hires, per Scouting the Refs.

Referees Steve Kozari and Chris Lee, along with linespersons Steve Barton, Brad Kovachik, and Bryan Pancich, all stepped away from the game, leaving five full-time spots to be filled.

Four of those vacancies go to officials who divided their time between the NHL and AHL last season. Referees Beau Halkidis and Stephen Hiff earn full-time promotions, as do linespersons Dylan Blujus and Jeremy Faucher.

Halkidis, 32, has been skating at the NHL level since his debut back in 2019 and has 184 league games under his belt. He will now wear number 22. Hiff, also 32 and originally from Cambridge, Ontario, has worked 67 NHL contests since arriving in 2024 and takes over number 33.

Blujus brings a unique background as a former Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick who transitioned from playing to officiating. The Amherst, New York, native has 49 NHL games to his name. Faucher, who came up through the QMJHL and AHL officiating pipeline, logged 56 regular season games at the NHL level last year.

The fifth full-time slot goes to linesperson Anthony Lapointe, a 27-year-old from Montreal who jumps straight to a permanent NHL role after four seasons of professional officiating. His resume includes back-to-back Calder Cup Finals assignments and the gold medal game at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Five more officials join in part-time roles. Referees Nick Isaacson, Austin Rook, and Hayden Verbeek will primarily work in the AHL, with one or two NHL appearances expected this season. Linespersons Onni Hautamaki and Chris Martenet will split their schedules evenly, handling 40 games in each league.

Hautamaki's hiring is particularly noteworthy. The 30-year-old Finn becomes just the second European-trained linesperson in NHL history and the first Finnish official to work in the league. He officiated the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics between the United States and Canada.

Martenet, meanwhile, was a member of the London Knights squad that captured the OHL Cup, Robertson Cup, and Memorial Cup, skating alongside future NHL stars Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Bouchard, and Robert Thomas. Originally drafted 103rd overall by the Dallas Stars in 2015, the Indianapolis native now transitions from the blueline to calling plays along it.

OHL Director of Officiating Conrad Hache praised the trio of former OHL players, Isaacson, Verbeek, and Martenet, earning NHL contracts. "Their progression shows there is another meaningful path in hockey after a playing career ends," Hache said.

All new officials are expected to see preseason action before the puck drops… for real!