Numbers are easy. It’s the names — and their pronunciation — that can be tricky.
If you’re going to yell at the stripes, at least get their names right. Here’s the updated pronunciation guide for the 2023-24 NHL officials.
All pronunciations provided by the National Hockey League, with some light editing. 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.
One notable update from last year: Joe Mahon is ma-HAWN.
Referees
| Cody | Beach | (BEECH) |
| 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) |
| Graedy | Hamilton | (GRAY-dee HAM-ihl-tuhn) |
| Trevor | Hanson | (HAN-suhn) |
| Ghislain | Hebert | (ZHIHZ-lehn AY-bair) |
| Jean | Hebert | (ZHAWN AY-bair) |
| Stephen | Hiff | HIHF |
| Justin | Kea | (KEE-uh) |
| Steve | Kozari | (koh-ZAHR-ee) |
| Frederick | L’Ecuyer | (LAY-KWEE-ay) |
| Pierre | Lambert | (pee-AIR lam-BAIR) |
| Chris | Lee | (LEE) |
| T.J. | Luxmore | (LUHX-mohr) |
| Peter | MacDougall | (mac-DOO-guhl) |
| Morgan | MacPhee | (mak-FEE) |
| Michael | Markovic | (MARK-oh-vitch) |
| Wes | McCauley | (muh-KAHL-ee) |
| Jon | McIsaac | (muhk-IGH-zihk) |
| Kendrick | Nicholson | (NIH-kuhl-suhn) |
| Dan | O’Rourke | (oh-ROHRK) |
| Brian | Pochmara | (pahk-MAHR-uh) |
| Kevin | Pollock | (PAHL-uhk) |
| Garrett | Rank | (RANK) |
| Kyle | Rehman | (RAY-muhn) |
| Chris | Rooney | (ROO-nee) |
| Jordan | Samuels-Thomas | (SAM-yewlz-TAH-muhs) |
| Carter | Sandlak | (SAND-lak) |
| Chris | Schlenker | (SHLEHNK-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) |
Linesmen
| Shandor | Alphonso | (SHAN-dohr al-FAHN-so) |
| Caleb | Apperson | (KAY_lehb AP-uhr-suhn) |
| 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) |
| Jonathan | Deschamps | (day-SHAWMP) |
| 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) |
| Brandon | Grillo | (GRIHL-oh) |
| Tommy | Hughes | (HEWZ) |
| Mitchell | Hunt | (HUHNT) |
| Ryan | Jackson | (JAK-suhn) |
| Justin | Johnson | (JAHN-suhn) |
| Dan | Kelly | (KEHL-ee) |
| Trent | Knorr | (K’NOHR) (The K is not silent) |
| Brad | Kovachik | (koh-VAH-chihk) |
| Matt | MacPherson | (mak-FUR-suhn) |
| Joseph | Mahon | (ma-HAHN) |
| Jesse | Marquis | (mahr-KEE) |
| Kilian | McNamara | (MAK-nuh-mar-uh |
| Bevan | Mills | (MIHLZ) |
| Kiel | Murchison | (KIGH-uhl MUHR-chih-suhn) |
| CJ | Murray | (MUHR-ree) |
| Jonny | Murray | (MUHR-ree) |
| Derek | Nansen | (NAN-sehn) |
| Ben | O’Quinn | (oh-KWIHN) |
| Bryan | Pancich | (PAN-sihch) |
| Mark | Shewchyk | (SHOO-chihk) |
| Andrew | Smith | (SMIHTH) |
| Libor | Suchanek | (LEE-bohr soo-CHAN-ehk) |
| James | Tobias | (toh-BIGH-uhs ) |
| 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
