Season 3, Episode 1
September 19, 2025

 
On this week’s #RefsPodcast, kicking off our 2025-26 season!

  • Wrapping up NHL officials’ training camp
  • Promotions for ⁠ref Jordan Samuels-Thomas⁠ and ⁠liney Ryan Jackson⁠
  • New names joining the NHL: ⁠referee Ben Betker⁠ and ⁠linespersons Dylan Blujus, Jeremy Faucher, and Shawn Oliver.⁠
  • Retirements of referee Ghislain Hebert and ⁠linesman Derek Nansen⁠
  • But, wait – ⁠Hebert’s not done yet⁠! He’s wearing the stripes in Germany!
  • The NHL makes a ⁠few minor changes to the NHL rulebook⁠, including officially adding “common sense” to the book, an offside clarification, a new high-sticking definition, and some added hand-pass criteria.
  • We haven’t even played a game and Linus Ullmark is already complaining about goaltender interference. He’s got an interesting proposal.  

 

 
Oh, and have we got some summer plans for you…

Oilers fans—imagine spending a week in the sun with Edmonton legends! The Edmonton Hockey Legends Cruise 2026 sails July 17–24, 2026 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, cruising the Mexican Riviera.

On board: Jason Strudwick, Bill Ranford, Ron Low, Gene Principe, Jack Michaels, Kelly Buchberger, and Louie DeBrusk.

You’ll get meet & greets, hot-stove sessions, Q&A panels, autographs, and a chance to watch the World Cup Final at sea with the legends. Cabins start at $2,399 CAD, and it’s just a $500 deposit to lock it in.

Book at cast.tours/edmonton and use promo code [REFS2026] for $100 off per person!

 

Follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports, and be sure to subscribe to the Scouting the Refs Podcast!

Visit scoutingtherefs.com and follow @scoutingtherefs and @toddlewissports on Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube. Email us your questions – heyref@scoutingtherefs.com   #RefsPodcast

Questions? Comments? Just looking to vent? Call the Ref Line and leave us a message at 585-484-REFS!

 

 

The Scouting The Refs Podcast is a weekly look at the world of officiating and player safety within the National Hockey League, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world. We’ll break down the calls and the rules behind them to help understand why a penalty or suspension was – or wasn’t – handed out. 

Todd Lewis is a veteran broadcaster covering the NHL and other major league sports. Lewis is a former host on the NHL Network and on NHL Network Radio. He’s also worked for TSN, Sportsnet as a host/anchor and is a producer of other programs. 

Josh Smith is the founder of Scouting the Refs, the leading independent site related to hockey officiating which follows hockey officials across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and other leagues around the world, including news, rule changes and interpretations, suspensions, and statistics on officials and penalty calls.