Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 12/14/25

Today’s NHL games:
VAN vs. NJD – UTA vs. PIT – PHI vs. CAR – BOS vs. MIN – EDM vs. MTL – BUF vs. SEA 

REFEREES
	Kendrick Nicholson #30			Brandon Schrader #34
Games ’25-26	29			29
Career Games (RS/PO)	694 / 17			294 / 0
First NHL Game	1/17/15			3/1/19
Birthplace	Milverton, ON			Sanborn, NY
Goals/Gm	6.3 (6) | 5.8 (42)			6.1 (20) | 6.4 (11)
PP Opp/Gm	5.1 (36) | 6.1 (18)			5.7 (11) | 6.0 (27)
PPG/Gm	1.2 (17) | 1.2 (34)			1.3 (9) | 1.3 (22)
Penl/Gm	7.4 (9) | 8.1 (9)			7.5 (8) | 7.5 (25)
PIM/Gm	18.4 (9) | 8.1 (8)			18.7 (6) | 18.1 (28)
% of Penl on Home	48.8% (15) | 50.0% (36)			46.8% (34) | 50.0% (6)
% PP Opp for Home	51.6% (28) | 50.0% (8)			54.0% (9) | 50.0% (39)
Penl Diff.*	1.3 (20) | 1.3 (30)			1.5 (3) | 1.6 (4)
Home Win %	56% (38) | 57% (26)			62% (23) | 63% (10)
Home Rec.	38-31-4 | 40-30-5			41-24-8 | 42-23-10
OT/SO Games	16.7% (32) | 20.0% (32)			24.7% (6) | 30.0% (6)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
VAN	5-1-1	3-2-2	1-3-0	1-3-0	4-1-0	6-0-0
NJD	1-3-0	1-3-0	5-2-0	1-2-0	2-2-0	1-1-0
LINESPERSONS
	Devin Berg #87			Brandon Grillo #75
Games ’25-26	28			20
Career Games (RS/PO)	698 / 104			89 / 0
First NHL Game	10/15/15			10/26/23
First Playoff Game	4/11/18			—
Birthplace	Kitchener, ON			Canton, MI

REFEREES
	Carter Sandlak #29			Francis Charron #6
Games ’25-26	27			30
Career Games (RS/PO)	212 / 0			836 / 118
First NHL Game	3/22/22			4/5/10
Birthplace	Vancouver, BC			Ottawa, ON
Goals/Gm	6.5 (3) | 6.1 (25)			6.1 (17) | 6.1 (29)
PP Opp/Gm	5.1 (39) | 5.8 (32)			5.1 (38) | 6.0 (23)
PPG/Gm	1.5 (1) | 1.1 (37)			1.1 (27) | 1.2 (29)
Penl/Gm	6.2 (40) | 7.2 (34)			6.3 (35) | 7.0 (38)
PIM/Gm	14.9 (34) | 7.2 (25)			15.2 (30) | 16.1 (40)
% of Penl on Home	47.9% (30) | 50.0% (32)			49.7% (5) | 50.0% (37)
% PP Opp for Home	53.0% (17) | 50.0% (12)			50.0% (37) | 50.0% (5)
Penl Diff.*	1.3 (26) | 1.1 (39)			1.2 (30) | 1.2 (37)
Home Win %	46% (42) | 65% (5)			63% (17) | 63% (10)
Home Rec.	28-35-10 | 46-23-6			41-22-10 | 37-21-5
OT/SO Games	19.4% (23) | 20.0% (11)			21.9% (15) | 20.0% (10)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
UTA	3-1-0	1-6-0	1-0-0	1-0-1	1-1-1	1-0-2
PIT	2-1-1	1-2-1	2-1-0	4-1-0	4-2-1	3-1-2
LINESPERSONS
	Jonathan Deschamps #80			Shawn Oliver #66
Games ’25-26	28			14
Career Games (RS/PO)	324 / 0			14 / 0
First NHL Game	10/15/21			10/26/25
First Playoff Game	—			—
Birthplace	Trois-Rivieres, QC			Ottawa, ON

REFEREES
	Frederick L’Ecuyer #17			Brandon Blandina #39
Games ’25-26	28			29
Career Games (RS/PO)	1133 / 52			327 / 0
First NHL Game	10/13/07			3/19/19
Birthplace	St-Tite, QC			Centennial, CO
Goals/Gm	6.1 (21) | 6.0 (34)			5.7 (40) | 5.8 (0)
PP Opp/Gm	5.3 (23) | 6.4 (8)			5.3 (22) | 6.1 (0)
PPG/Gm	1.3 (6) | 1.4 (10)			1.3 (11) | 1.2 (0)
Penl/Gm	6.8 (21) | 7.6 (18)			7.1 (14) | 7.7 (0)
PIM/Gm	18.2 (10) | 7.6 (19)			18.1 (11) | 18.3 (0)
% of Penl on Home	48.8% (25) | 50.0% (33)			49.8% (24) | 50.0% (0)
% PP Opp for Home	53.1% (15) | 50.0% (14)			52.2% (23) | 50.0% (0)
Penl Diff.*	1.3 (24) | 1.5 (8)			1.4 (6) | 1.3 (0)
Home Win %	64% (12) | 62% (13)			54% (40) | 52% (0)
Home Rec.	44-24-6 | 43-25-7			35-31-7 | 34-31-10
OT/SO Games	19.2% (26) | 30.0% (3)			19.4% (23) | 20.0% (0)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
PHI	1-4-1	4-0-0	1-4-0	1-4-0	5-0-1	1-2-2
CAR	6-1-0	5-2-0	5-2-0	4-3-0	5-1-0	3-0-0
LINESPERSONS
	Ben O’Quinn #91			Julien Fournier #56
Games ’25-26	31			32
Career Games (RS/PO)	317 / 0			406 / 10
First NHL Game	10/14/21			10/14/19
First Playoff Game	—			—
Birthplace	Woodstock, ON			Gatineau, QC

REFEREES
	Justin Kea #36			Jon Mclsaac #2
Games ’25-26	31			27
Career Games (RS/PO)	173 / 0			654 / 45
First NHL Game	3/28/22			11/21/13
Birthplace	Woodville, ON			Truro, NS
Goals/Gm	5.9 (30) | 6.5 (6)			6.3 (9) | 6.0 (36)
PP Opp/Gm	5.4 (20) | 6.0 (25)			5.3 (27) | 6.5 (7)
PPG/Gm	1.0 (36) | 1.5 (8)			1.1 (29) | 1.3 (19)
Penl/Gm	6.4 (34) | 7.9 (15)			6.5 (32) | 7.6 (21)
PIM/Gm	15.0 (32) | 7.9 (12)			15.3 (29) | 17.7 (33)
% of Penl on Home	47.9% (18) | 50.0% (17)			47.9% (32) | 50.0% (39)
% PP Opp for Home	51.8% (25) | 50.0% (22)			53.8% (10) | 50.0% (6)
Penl Diff.*	1.2 (37) | 1.4 (13)			1.2 (35) | 1.4 (15)
Home Win %	64% (14) | 61% (15)			63% (16) | 61% (15)
Home Rec.	44-25-4 | 23-14-3			38-21-5 | 41-24-10
OT/SO Games	19.4% (23) | 10.0% (39)			21.9% (19) | 30.0% (5)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
BOS	2-3-0	2-0-1	1-0-1	4-1-0	4-0-0	3-2-1
MIN	5-1-1	2-1-0	0-0-0	2-3-1	3-1-2	2-2-2
LINESPERSONS
	Matt MacPherson #83			James Tobias #61
Games ’25-26	31			32
Career Games (RS/PO)	993 / 136			505 / 29
First NHL Game	10/11/11			11/22/17
First Playoff Game	4/17/14			4/17/23
Birthplace	Antigonish, NS			Buffalo, NY

REFEREES
	Furman South #13			Brian Pochmara #16
Games ’25-26	31			6
Career Games (RS/PO)	441 / 6			1233 / 69
First NHL Game	4/6/17			12/23/05
Birthplace	Sewickley, PA			Detroit, MI
Goals/Gm	5.4 (42) | 6.1 (28)			5.8 (38) | 6.0 (38)
PP Opp/Gm	4.8 (42) | 5.5 (39)			5.2 (35) | 5.9 (28)
PPG/Gm	1.0 (41) | 1.1 (38)			1.2 (22) | 1.2 (35)
Penl/Gm	6.2 (38) | 6.8 (40)			6.8 (19) | 7.1 (36)
PIM/Gm	14.9 (33) | 6.8 (41)			18.4 (8) | 17.0 (35)
% of Penl on Home	50.2% (8) | 50.0% (20)			47.1% (37) | 50.0% (23)
% PP Opp for Home	50.1% (36) | 50.0% (18)			54.8% (6) | 50.0% (21)
Penl Diff.*	1.1 (39) | 1.2 (34)			1.3 (24) | 1.3 (23)
Home Win %	60% (30) | 61% (15)			69% (3) | 53% (36)
Home Rec.	40-26-8 | 42-25-8			46-20-8 | 25-22-10
OT/SO Games	21.6% (20) | 20.0% (28)			21.9% (15) | 40.0% (2)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
EDM	3-1-0	2-0-1	2-2-1	1-2-0	1-2-0	2-1-0
MTL	1-1-0	1-2-2	1-5-0	4-2-0	2-0-0	2-0-1
LINESPERSONS
	Ryan Daisy #81			Michel Cormier #76
Games ’25-26	17			28
Career Games (RS/PO)	582 / 61			1433 / 99
First NHL Game	10/13/16			10/10/03
First Playoff Game	4/12/19			4/22/06
Birthplace	Mansfield, MA			Trois-Rivieres, QC

REFEREES
	Chris Schlenker #3			Graham Skilliter #24
Games ’25-26	31			30
Career Games (RS/PO)	501 / 1			841 / 39
First NHL Game	10/24/16			1/28/13
Birthplace	Medicine Hat, AB			La Ronge, SK
Goals/Gm	6.2 (15) | 6.0 (32)			6.2 (14) | 6.1 (27)
PP Opp/Gm	5.3 (29) | 6.0 (21)			5.2 (32) | 6.2 (15)
PPG/Gm	1.0 (37) | 1.2 (26)			1.1 (28) | 1.5 (6)
Penl/Gm	6.6 (28) | 7.4 (28)			6.2 (41) | 7.4 (29)
PIM/Gm	15.8 (25) | 7.4 (22)			14.8 (35) | 16.7 (37)
% of Penl on Home	47.4% (39) | 50.0% (24)			48.6% (11) | 50.0% (9)
% PP Opp for Home	56.0% (3) | 50.0% (27)			51.4% (30) | 50.0% (40)
Penl Diff.*	1.4 (12) | 1.3 (24)			1.3 (23) | 1.4 (11)
Home Win %	100% (1) | 61% (18)			57% (35) | 61% (19)
Home Rec.	1-0-0 | 44-28-3			37-27-10 | 45-29-2
OT/SO Games	15.9% (33) | 20.0% (32)			24.3% (7) | 10.0% (35)
Team Records	24-25	23-24	22-23	24-25	23-24	22-23
BUF	0-3-0	2-1-0	2-0-0	1-0-0	4-1-0	2-3-0
SEA	1-2-1	4-5-0	3-2-0	4-4-1	5-2-0	2-4-1
LINESPERSONS
	Ryan Jackson #84			Kiel Murchison #79
Games ’25-26	31			30
Career Games (RS/PO)	157 / 0			915 / 98
First NHL Game	10/30/22			1/21/13
First Playoff Game	—			4/17/15
Birthplace	Pointe-Claire, QC			Cloverdale, BC

Games: PS (Preseason); RS (Regular Season); PO (Playoffs) 

Stats/Numbers: ’24-25 avg. (’24-25 rank) | ’23-24 avg. (’23-24 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 got new rules, new refs, promoted officials, and an updated pronunciation guide for 2025-26.

NHL Officials – 2025-26