The ECHL’s Mariners of Maine will be honoring one of their hometown heroes on Friday: NHL referee Wes McCauley.
“My family and I are very honored and humbled that the Maine Mariners would have a night in my honor,” McCauley said. “Our family has grown up in Maine and have been lucky to be a part of this great hockey community.”
McCauley has officiated 1,048 NHL games since making his NHL debut on January 20, 2003. He’s been selected to work the past seven Stanley Cup Finals, going back to 2013.
The native of Georgetown, Ontario, will drop the puck for the opening faceoff — the ceremonial puck, that is — with ECHL referees and linesmen working the actual game. McCauley will be signing autographs during the first intermission, and will join Mariners’ broadcaster Michael Keeley in the booth for the third period. A webcast of the game will be available on Mixlr and ECHL.tv.
There’s no penalty for “too many people in the arena,” so be sure to come out to Wes McCauley Appreciation Night this Friday at the @CrossArena. Game time is 7:15!
?️TICKETS: https://t.co/xLrKmp2Nyh
?BID ON GAME WORN MCCAULEY JERSEYS: https://t.co/SDuDieV7VK pic.twitter.com/0zNMyZ8vqu— Maine Mariners (@MarinersOfMaine) November 12, 2019
Two autographed, game-worn Wes McCauley referee jerseys will also be up for auction, with the proceeds benefiting the Portland Hockey Trust. Fans can bid online or in-person at the game. The auction will end just prior to the start of the third period of Friday’s game.
“Wes McCauley is a great Mainer,” said Mariners V.P. of Business Operations Adam Goldberg. “We are thankful that he is putting the two jerseys up for auction and he could not have picked a more suitable beneficiary in the Portland Hockey Trust. We are grateful for Wes’ desire to continue the growth of this great sport here in Portland.”
McCauley, who’s lived in South Portland since 2003, was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
