The officials in black and white stripes have a huge influence on every NHL game, with the two on-ice referees and two linesmen given the responsibility of the orange armband to uphold the rules and the integrity of the league.
As a result, the calls of the NHL referees can heavily influence NHL betting lines, even when technology is incorporated to help make those close calls as accurate as possible.
So, with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid earning over $12 million per season while being governed by these officials, just how much do NHL referees make?
How Much Do NHL Officials Make Per Season?
In any given game, an NHL referee will be calling the shots for at least $120 million-worth of salaries skating around – and often in excess of $160 million, not to mention the rowdy coaching staff behind the benches.
There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on each NHL referee, so you can bet that they’re well compensated for their work. Those who stick around in the job even get paid more for their service.
According to reports that cite NHL documentation in 2022, a new NHL referee makes $200,000 per year as an entry-level salary.
As they gain more experience, NHL referees see their income increase up to $430,000 per year if they stick with it for at least 15 years.
At the absolute high end of officiating the highest number of games, which is usually around 70 in the regular season, an NHL referee will make around $6,143 each game. For 50 games at entry-level salary, it’s more like $4,000 per game.
The NHL Officials Association presently consists of 35 full-time referees and 35 full-time linespersons, with at least two of each being required for every NHL game.
How Much Do NHL Linespersons Make Per Season?
NHL linespersons make less than NHL referees, but still get a good wage. Initially, an NHL linesperson will earn $137,00 for their first year of service.
Should the linesperson continue to work well and manage to remain employed by the NHL for 15 years or more, they can expect a salary of $228,000 per year.
Both NHL linespersons and referees also get themselves a bump for being on standby. Referees receive $1,000 for being in the stadium on standby while linespersons get $650. A call-up pushes the pay to $2,750 and $1,775, respectively.
How Much Do NHL Officials Make in the Playoffs?
The NHL regular season is mightily entertaining, but when it boils down, it can’t compete with the high-velocity spectacle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – where officiating gets all the more intense.
Players switch on another gear at the knockout stage of the competition, which weeds out the great teams from the very good and is why even the league leaders and favourites are held at long odds of +650 in the betting to raise the Cup.
For these intense matchups, NHL referees make $27,000 per round that they officiate in, while linespersons get themselves $17,250.
If each a referee and linesperson works seven games in a round, such as when multiple series gets pushed to the wire, they average $3,857 and $2,464 per game, respectively. Naturally, this would be a very rare occurrence.
While this can be less than the regular season game rates, retirement bonuses are based on playoff games worked at a rate of $27,000 multiplied by the number of playoff games worked, divided by 60 for referees.
Linespersons are looking at $17,250 times by their count of playoff games officiated, divided by 60 as well. Plus, NHL officials get a pretty well-padded pension when they hang up their skates.
If they commit to a long career at this highest level of hockey, NHL referees can make as much as $430,000 per year with extra if they officiate games in the playoffs.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to Alamy*
