Referee Chris Rooney has become the first American-born ref to work 1,500 games in the National Hockey League.
He was recognized for the accomplishment in his hometown of Boston as the Bruins hosted the Edmonton Oilers on January 7, 2025. Rooney took the ice with a hand-picked crew of referee Wes McCauley with linesmen Steve Barton and Brad Kovachik.
His actual milestone game came a few days earlier, skating at Blues vs. Blue Jackets alongside Riley Brace and lineys Jonathan Deschamps and Julien Fournier. Officials get to select the crews for their milestone games – as Rooney did in Boston – but the actual schedule may differ due to injuries or travel issues, which moved Rooney’s milestone marker a bit earlier than originally planned.
Rooney made his National Hockey League debut officiating a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Atlanta Thrashers on November 22, 2000. He’s gone on to a 25-year NHL career that includes 170 playoff games, seven trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey — and now 1,500 regular season games.
The South Boston, MA, native’s 1,500 regular season games are 11th all-time among National Hockey League officials, with Kelly Sutherland the only active referee having worked more games.
Congratulations to referee Chris Rooney on this milestone – a first for an American ref in the NHL!
