There’s about to be another McCauley on patrol.
Riley McCauley, son of National Hockey League referee Wes McCauley, is set to make his AHL officiating debut on Saturday.
McCauley, wearing #25, will take the ice as a linesman when the Tucson Roadrunners host the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday night. He’ll work the game alongside referees Brandon Schrader (#46) and Jake Kamrass (#3), with linesman Ryan Jackson (#84).
Jackson – splitting time between the AHL and NHL this season – is the son of retired NHL referee Dave Jackson, who’s currently a rules analyst with ESPN. He made his NHL debut earlier this season, working alongside Wes.
McCauley is the third generation of officials in his family. His father, Wes, has been in the NHL since 2003, having officiated 1,292 regular season games and 186 playoff games – including nine trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
John McCauley, Wes’s dad, joined the NHL in 1970. He went on to officiate more than 500 games over ten seasons before an injury forced him off the ice. The elder McCauley didn’t go far, heading upstairs to become the league’s Assistant Director of Officiating. He was promoted to Director of Officiating in 1986, a role he held until his death in 1989.
McCauley, 22, just wrapped up his second season with the University of Arizona’s Wildcats, who conveniently share a rink – Tucson Convention Center Arena – with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners… where he’ll work his first American Hockey League game as an official.
No word on whether McCauley’s other kids are considering picking up a whistle.
Good luck to Riley McCauley on his AHL debut!
