Referee Ben Betker will make his NHL debut in stripes tonight as the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames.
Betker, wearing #42, will officiate his first National Hockey League game alongside referee Kyle Rehman (#10) with linespersons Jesse Marquis (#86) and Ben O’Quinn (#91). NHL Officiating Manager Al Kimmel will be in attendance, overseeing tonight’s officials.
At 6’6″, 227 lbs. during his playing career, Betker may be the most physically imposing referee in the NHL.
The 30-year-old official was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round (158th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, a class that included Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov. He went on to play for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals and Kalamazoo Wings before heading to Europe for five seasons.
Betker attended the 2024 NHL Officiating Exposure Combine and joined the BCHL officiating team before being offered an NHL contract and making the jump to the AHL.
Now, less than two years later, he’s making his NHL debut.
Congratulations to referee Ben Betker as he kicks off his National Hockey League officiating career.
