With two teams – the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning – already set, here’s the third team taking the ice for the Stanley Cup.
The NHL referees and linesmen officiating the 2020 Stanley Cup Final:
Referees
Francis Charron #6 – 1st Cup Final
Steve Kozari #40 – 3rd Cup Final (’14,’19)
Wes McCauley #4 – 8th Cup Final (’13-’19)
Dan O’Rourke #9 – 5th Cup Final (’11,’12,’16)
Kelly Sutherland #11 – 7th Cup Final (’10,’11,’15,’16,’18,’19)
Out from Conference Finals: Gord Dwyer, Jean Hebert, Chris Rooney
Linesmen
Derek Amell #75 – 8th Cup Final (’09,’12,’14,’15,’16,’18,’19)
Steve Barton #59 – 1st Cup Final
Scott Cherrey #50 – 3rd Cup Final (’17,’19)
Brad Kovachik #71 – 3rd Cup Final (’14,’17)
Matt MacPherson #83 – 2nd Cup Final (’18)
Out from Conference Finals: Greg Devorski, Kiel Murchison, Jonny Murray
Noteworthy
The NHLOA’s new CBA with the league calls for five referees and five linesmen. Since 2002, the NHL selected four of each, resulting in two set crews. Referee Wes McCauley was injured for last year’s Final, which was expanded to include five refs, so we’ll see how the additional officials shake up the rotation.
Charron and Barton are officiating their first Stanley Cup Final. All other officials are returning to work the Final.
McCauley is working his eighth straight Stanley Cup Final (2013-2020).
Of the current Cup Final officials, only linesmen Derek Amell and Brad Kovachik were working in the NHL in 1999 when the Dallas Stars last won the Stanley Cup. In addition to Amell and Kovachik, linesman Steve Barton and refs Wes McCauley, Dan O’Rourke, and Kelly Sutherland were in the league when Tampa won the Cup in 2004.
The Stanley Cup Final officials are all Canadian. This is the first Stanley Cup Final without a US-born official since 2014.
Postseason Paychecks
Officials, like players, earn their paychecks for their regular season work. NHL Referees and linesmen, though, get a bonus for working the playoffs.
From the previous NHLOA CBA which ran through 2014, referees earned $18,250 per round worked, while linesmen picked up an additional $12,100 per round. We anticipate that has increased in the most recent agreement.
Standby officials earned $900 for referees and $600 for linesmen, with a bump to $2,450 or $1,650, respectively, if they were called into duty and had to work a game.
Who’s Missing
Check out our previous article on the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Referees and Linesmen to see who made the cut and who missed the postseason altogether, as well as who moved on to Round 2 and who worked the Conference Finals.
Congratulations to all the referees and linesmen selected to work the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final!