Numbers are easy. Perhaps that’s why the NHL officials only sport digits on the backs of their stripes. It’s the names — and their pronunciation — that can be tricky. Whether you’re a broadcaster looking to properly pronounce the officials’ names or a fan who wants to heckle accurately, it’s all about getting the names right.
Here’s the updated pronunciation guide for the 2020-21 NHL officials.
All pronunciations provided by the National Hockey League. We’ve made a few changes based on our experiences and personal verification, and simplified the guide to exclude some of the more common names whose pronunciation is already familiar to most. (Pronunciation key included at the end)
Referees
| Reid | Anderson | (REED AN-dur-suhn) |
| Brandon | Blandina | (blan-DEE-nuh) |
| Jake | Brenk | (BREHNK) |
| Francis | Charron | (FRAN-sihs sha-RAHN) |
| Tom | Chmielewski | (shihm-ehl-ESS-kee) – that’s a silent ‘W’ there |
| Mitch | Dunning | (DUHN-ihng ) |
| Gord | Dwyer | (DWIGH-uhr) |
| Eric | Furlatt | (fur-LAHT) |
| Beaudry | Halkidis | (BOH-dree hal-KEE-dihs) also ‘Beau’ (BOH) |
| Trevor | Hanson | (HAN-suhn) |
| Ghislain | Hebert | (ZHIHZ-lehn AY-bair) |
| Jean | Hebert | (ZHAWN AY-bair) |
| Marc | Joannette | (zhawn-EHT) |
| Dan | Kelly | (KEHL-ee) |
| Steve | Kozari | (koh-ZAHR-ee) |
| Pierre | Lambert | (pee-AIR lam-BAIR) |
| Frederick | L’Ecuyer | (LAY-KWEE-ay) |
| Chris | Lee | (LEE) |
| T.J. | Luxmore | (LUHX-mohr) |
| Peter | MacDougall | (mac-DOO-guhl) |
| Michael | Markovic | (MARK-oh-vitch) |
| Wes | McCauley | (muh-KAWL-ee) |
| Jon | McIsaac | (muhk-IGH-zihk) |
| Brad | Meier | (MIGH-uhr) |
| Dean | Morton | (MOHR-tuhn) |
| Kendrick | Nicholson | (NIH-kuhl-suhn) |
| Conor | O’Donnell | (oh-DAHN-uhl) |
| Dan | O’Rourke | (oh-ROHRK) |
| Tim | Peel | (PEEL) |
| Brian | Pochmara | (pahk-MAHR-uh) |
| Kevin | Pollock | (PAHL-uhk) |
| Garrett | Rank | (RANK) |
| Kyle | Rehman | (RAY-muhn) |
| Chris | Rooney | (ROO-nee) |
| Chris | Schlenker | (SCHLENK-uhr) |
| Brandon | Schrader | (SHRAY-duhr) |
| Graham | Skilliter | (SKIHL-ih-tuhr) |
| Furman | South | (SOWTH) |
| Francois | St. Laurent | (frahn-SWAH SAINT-loh-RAHNT) |
| Justin | St. Pierre | (SAINT-pee-AIR) |
| Kelly | Sutherland | (SUH-thuhr-luhnd) |
| Corey | Syvret | (sih-VREHT) |
| Ian | Walsh | (WAWLSH) |
Linesmen
| Shandor | Alphonso | (SHAN-dohr al-FAHN-so) |
| Derek | Amell | (a-MEHL) |
| Tyson | Baker | (BAY-kuhr) |
| Steve | Barton | (BAHR-tuhn) |
| Devin | Berg | (BUHRG) |
| David | Brisebois | (BREEZ-bwah) |
| Scott | Cherrey | (CHEHR-ee) |
| Michel | Cormier | (mih-SHEHL KOHR-mee-ay) |
| Ryan | Daisy | (DAY-zee) |
| Greg | Devorski | (duh-VOHR-skee) |
| Kyle | Flemington | (FLEHM-ihng-tuhn) |
| Julien | Fournier | (FOORN-yay) |
| Ryan | Galloway | (GAL-oh-way) |
| Brandon | Gawryletz | (GAHR-lehtz) |
| Travis | Gawryletz | (GAHR-lehtz) |
| Ryan | Gibbons | (GIH-buhnz) |
| Trent | Knorr | (K’NOHR) (The K is not silent) |
| Brad | Kovachik | (koh-VAH-chihk) |
| Brian | Mach | (MAHK) |
| Matt | MacPherson | (mak-FUR-suhn) |
| Jesse | Marquis | (mahr-KEE) |
| Steve | Miller | (MIH-luhr) |
| Bevan | Mills | (MIHLZ) |
| Kiel | Murchison | (KIGH-uhl MUHR-chih-suhn) |
| Jonny | Murray | (MUHR-ree) |
| Kory | Nagy | (NA-ghee) (Like ‘shaggy’) |
| Derek | Nansen | (NAN-sehn) |
| Bryan | Pancich | (PAN-sihch) |
| Pierre | Racicot | (RA-see-koh) |
| Vaughan | Rody | (VAWN ROH-dee) |
| Tony | Sericolo | (sair-ih-KOH-loh) |
| Mark | Shewchyk | (SHOO-chihk) |
| Andrew | Smith | (SMIHTH) |
| Libor | Suchanek | (LEE-bohr soo-CHAN-ehk) |
| James | Tobias | (toh-BIGH-ehs ) |
| Travis | Toomey | (TOO-mee) |
Pronunciation Key
AY – long A as in mate
A – short A as in cat
AI – nasal A as in air
AH – short A as in father
AW – broad A as in talk
EE – long E as in meat
EH – short E as in get
UH – hollow E as in ‘the’
AY – French long E with acute accent as in passé
IH – middle E as in pretty
EW – dipthong as in few
IGH – long I as in time
EE – French long I as in machine
IH – short I as in pity
OH – long O as in note
AH – short O as in hot
AW – broad O as in fought
OI – dipthong as in noise
OO – long double OO as in fool
U – short double O as in foot
OW – dipthong as in how
EW – long U as in mule
OO – long U as in rule
U – middle U as in put
UH – short U as in shut or hurt
K – hard C as in cat
S – soft C as in cease
SH – soft CH as in machine
CH – hard CH or TCH as in catch
Z – hard S as in bells
S – soft S as in sun
G – hard G as in gang
J – soft G as in general
ZH – soft J as in French version of Joliet
KH – gutteral CH as in Scottish version of Loch
