Life on the ice is fast, harsh, and often chaotic. As the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals wait to unfold, the hockey community once again is bracing up for seven (if we’re lucky enough!) games of thrilling action. Both of last year’s finalists are returning to the championship series this year, and a few gloves getting dropped shouldn’t be entirely unexpected. Thankfully, there will be enough brass present inside the rink to keep a lid on things.

Both the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers have traversed a long and arduous road to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Naturally, both the Western and Eastern Conference heavyweights would go the entire length in a bid to win the ultimate hockey prize. And with that, a few brawls can’t be ruled out either. So, who would be given the authority by the NHL to ensure that things don’t spiral out of hand? Not that officiating itself was exactly stellar in the Cup series so far.

The NHL drops names for Stanley Cup Finals officials

A post on X from June 1 by Scouting The Refs has shared details of the match officials who have been entrusted to mediate the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals between the defending champs and the Oilers. “Here are the eight National Hockey League officials working the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers,” the social media caption reads before the post elaborates on the four referees and the four linesmen for this year’s championship series.

Francis Charron, Jean Hebert, Wes McCauley, and Chris Rooney have been named as the refs who will preside over the Cats vs Oilers matches in this year’s ultimate round of Stanley Cup action. Among these refs, McCauley comes with the most experience on his back, having officiated 10 Finals before this year’s. Rooney, with 7 Stanley Cup Finals under his belt, isn’t too far behind, while both Charron and Hebert have so far been part of 2 Stanley Cup Finals each.

Hebert and Rooney also officiated last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. Lineseman Devin Berg returns from last year. The NHL official will be aided by Scott Cherrey (with 5 Stanley Cup experience to his name), along with Ryan Gibbons and Trent Knorr, both of whom will be making their Cup Final debut. However, while it would exciting to see how the first-timers would carry out their respective responsibilities, a few names absent from the list couldn’t be overlooked.

With 10 Stanley Cup Finals and 27 Cup Final matches in his resume, Kelly Sutherland is easily one of the most celebrated NHL officials around. However, Sutherland, along with ref Dan O’Rourke (7 Finals and 19 Stanley cup Final matches) and linesman Jonny Murray have all been kept off the list by the NHL.

However, it seems like the inclusion of both McCauley and Rooney has the fans unnerved. On Reddit, one fan labeled the refs as “2 of the worst in the league,” while another highlighted how both these two officials love making soft-calls for even the slightest misconduct. Naturally, considering the high stakes, it’s only normal that some fans don’t want the experience to be diluted. But whatever it may be, we can bet that the upcoming series won’t be making life any easier for the NHL officials, either.

Not as easy as it seems

Like the hockey players, NHL officials can also be seriously injured in the line of duty. During the Stanley Cup playoff’s Round 2 clash between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris Rooney took a serious hit to his eye when the Cats’ Niko Mikkola‘s stick caught the ref’s helmet from a follow-up swing. Rooney was swiftly taken off the ice, and didn’t return for the rest of the match.

For understandable reasons, the hockey community was left shaken and fans banded together to send their good thoughts toward the seasoned NHL official. However, while some refs have had to go through such traumatic experiences, others have still remained true to their task despite all odds. When the Dallas Stars’ Mason Marchment took a swing at ref Graham Skilliter in early May, the ref understood it was only an act prompted by frustration, and ensured the star didn’t have to pay any hefty prices.

But how can you suspect the refs who will lace up for the Stanley Cup Finals? Will things be kept friendly or will the officials have to bear extra burden to make sure things stay civil between the returning finalists? The puck for the Finals drop at Rogers Place on June 4 at 8 p.m. ET, and how do you think Rooney and his colleagues will head into battle? Tell us in a comment!