Today’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games:
MTL vs. BUF – VGK vs. ANA
REFEREES |
||||||
| Chris Rooney #5 | Graham Skilliter #24 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 38 / 7 | 76 / 6 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 1571 / 190 | 887 / 37 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 11/22/00 | 1/28/13 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 4/14/03 | 5/19/21 | ||||
| Birthplace | Boston, MA | La Ronge, SK | ||||
| Goals/Gm | 5.5 (40) | 6.4 (5) | 5.9 (31) | 6.2 (14) | ||||
| PP Opp/Gm | 6.3 (5) | 5.6 (12) | 5.6 (22) | 5.2 (32) | ||||
| PPG/Gm | 1.4 (4) | 1.3 (10) | 1.1 (28) | 1.1 (28) | ||||
| Penl/Gm | 7.7 (10) | 6.8 (22) | 7.2 (26) | 6.2 (41) | ||||
| PIM/Gm | 19.1 (11) | 6.8 (15) | 17.0 (30) | 14.8 (35) | ||||
| % of Penl on Home | 46.5% (32) | 50.0% (35) | 49.8% (23) | 50.0% (11) | ||||
| % PP Opp for Home | 52.1% (19) | 50.0% (13) | 52.0% (20) | 50.0% (30) | ||||
| Penl Diff.* | 1.3 (24) | 1.3 (22) | 1.0 (39) | 1.3 (23) | ||||
| Home Win % | 55% (27) | 66% (9) | 61% (17) | 57% (35) | ||||
| Home Rec. | 17-13-8 | 43-22-6 | 43-27-6 | 37-27-10 | ||||
| OT/SO Games | 26.3% (14) | 20.0% (34) | 17.1% (35) | 20.0% (7) | ||||
| Team Records | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 |
| MTL | 2-0-0 | 2-1-0 | 2-2-2 | 3-1-1 | 0-2-2 | 1-1-0 |
| BUF | 3-1-2 | 1-2-0 | 2-2-0 | 3-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 4-1-0 |
|
||||||
Bevan Mills #53 |
Kiel Murchison #79 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 77 / 7 | 77 / 7 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 592 / 43 | 962 / 96 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 11/29/16 | 1/21/13 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 5/16/21 | 4/17/15 | ||||
| Birthplace | Surrey, BC | Cloverdale, BC | ||||
Refs Chris Rooney and Graham Skilliter joined forces in the second round of the postseason, skating at MIN/COL Game 2 and ANA/VGK Game 3.
Rooney worked Round 1 with Peter MacDougall at PHI/PIT Game 1, ANA/EDM Game 2, TBL/MTL Game 3 (MTL W 3-2), and DAL/MIN Game 6. He also officiated MTL/TBL Game 7 (MTL W 2-1) with Wes McCauley. His last Sabres game was April 15 vs. the Dallas Stars (BUF L 4-3 SO).
Skilliter skated with Frederick L’Ecuyer in the opening round, handling MTL/TBL Game 2 (MTL L 3-2 OT), ANA/EDM Game 3, LAK/COL Game 4, and UTA/VGK Game 6. He last worked a Buffalo game on February 27 vs. Florida (BUF W 3-2).
The Montreal Canadiens are 4-0-0 under referee Chris Rooney this season, including playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres are 8-2-0 over the past two seasons under referee Graham Skilliter.
REFEREES |
||||||
Garrett Rank #7 |
Kyle Rehman #10 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 76 / 7 | 76 / 7 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 749 / 42 | 1159 / 54 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 1/15/15 | 1/22/08 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 5/17/21 | 4/12/18 | ||||
| Birthplace | Elmira, ON | Red Deer, AB | ||||
| Goals/Gm | 6.4 (7) | 5.7 (39) | 6.4 (5) | 5.8 (36) | ||||
| PP Opp/Gm | 6.1 (10) | 5.3 (25) | 6.1 (12) | 5.8 (8) | ||||
| PPG/Gm | 1.3 (9) | 1.0 (38) | 1.3 (14) | 1.4 (4) | ||||
| Penl/Gm | 8.4 (2) | 7.0 (18) | 7.6 (13) | 7.3 (10) | ||||
| PIM/Gm | 21.3 (1) | 7.0 (21) | 17.6 (28) | 17.8 (12) | ||||
| % of Penl on Home | 48.2% (18) | 50.0% (36) | 47.2% (31) | 50.0% (7) | ||||
| % PP Opp for Home | 51.2% (26) | 60.0% (5) | 53.7% (11) | 50.0% (37) | ||||
| Penl Diff.* | 1.5 (2) | 1.3 (18) | 1.5 (4) | 1.3 (17) | ||||
| Home Win % | 47% (38) | 60% (30) | 56% (26) | 55% (39) | ||||
| Home Rec. | 32-37-7 | 40-26-8 | 27-21-6 | 36-30-8 | ||||
| OT/SO Games | 26.7% (12) | 20.0% (12) | 22.7% (29) | 30.0% (3) | ||||
| Team Records | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 |
| VGK | 2-0-1 | 3-1-0 | 3-1-0 | 4-4-1 | 3-0-1 | 5-1-0 |
| ANA | 2-3-0 | 1-1-1 | 1-2-0 | 5-3-0 | 3-5-1 | 0-7-1 |
|
||||||
Ryan Gibbons #58 |
Trent Knorr #74 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 77 / 7 | 78 / 6 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 790 / 92 | 850 / 48 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 10/8/15 | 11/13/13 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 4/12/17 | 4/12/17 | ||||
| Birthplace | Vancouver, BC | Powell River, BC | ||||
Refs Garrett Rank and Kyle Rehman have worked together throughout the postseason. In Round 1, they handled PHI/PIT Game 2, BUF/BOS Game 3, DAL/MIN Game 4, and VGK/UTA Game 4 (VGK W 5-4). Round 2 saw them officiate MIN/COL Game 1, PHI/CAR Game 3, and MTL/BUF Game 3.
Rank’s last Ducks game was January 26 vs. Edmonton (ANA L 7-4), while Rehman last saw Anaheim against Utah on March 20 (ANA W 4-1).
Games: PS (Preseason); RS (Regular Season); PO (Playoffs)
Stats/Numbers: ’25-26 avg. (’25-26 rank) | ’24-25 avg. (’24-25 rank)
Number in orange/parentheses indicated referee’s rank among active officials.
* Penalty Differential represents the absolute value of the variance of penalty calls by team per game. If Team A takes two more penalties (or two fewer) than Team B, this is a 2. Lower numbers indicate less variance between total penalties in a game – that is, a closer number of calls for both teams.
We’ve also got new rules, new refs, promoted officials, and an updated pronunciation guide for 2025-26.
The NHL officials working the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
NHL Officials Advancing to Round 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
