Shandor Alphonso | NHL Linesman | NHL Officials Association (2024)

FAQs

How much does NHL linesman make? ›

Linesmen also the ones who are responsible for jumping in and breaking up fights that seem to be a large part of the game (so much so that some fans obsessively collect footage of wild hockey brawls). For all of that, the linesmen can expect to earn in the region of $110,000 to $235,000.

AHL and Other Professional Leagues

While salaries in these leagues may be lower than those in the NHL, they still offer competitive compensation packages. AHL referees typically earn salaries ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 per season, depending on experience and assignments.

In the second period, Lightning defender Haydn Fleury collided with referee Steve Kozari at center ice. Both Fleury and Kozari fell to the ice, but Kozari appeared to get the worst of the situation. Kozari lay on the ice motionless for a few moments and was eventually stretchered off and taken to a local hospital.

The typical retirement age for NHL referees is usually in their late 50s. However, this is not fixed and can vary based on the individual's health, personal motivations, or organizational needs.

Salaries for NHL Zamboni drivers range from $29,000 to $31,000, with some earning up to $37,500 annually. These individuals are considered top earners and are typically paid within this range, placing them in the 90th percentile of Zamboni driver salaries.

(c) Winter Classic/Heritage Classic - Each official selected to officiate the Winter Classic or Heritage Classic game (or the equivalent of either game to the extent renamed or rebranded during the term of this Agreement) will be entitled to the following: (i) Travel: Two (2) business (or first class) tickets.

Now, if you're a first year referee, you won't be taking home quite that much, but you will still be making a respectable 165 to $200,000 per season. Referees with several years of experience who are more established. see their salaries jump up to between $200,000 to $300,000 per season.

The AHL does not release contract details, but the minimum salary per its CBA is $52,725 in 2023-24, according to the Professional Hockey Players' Association.

🇷🇺Yevgeni Kuznetsov, the highest paid #AHL player of all-time, participated in his first practice with the Hershey. 📸: @thehersheybears.

NHL referee Steve Kozari had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher in a frightening moment in Saturday's game between the Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a statement, the NHL said after the game that Kozari was transported to UPMC Mercy Hospital for precautionary reasons after his collision with Haydn Fleury.

Who was the NHL referee that got hurt? ›

A member of the NHL Officials Association since 2003, Kozari, 50, "was transported to UPMC Mercy Hospital for precautionary reasons," according to a statement released by the NHL after the game.

Why do referees let hockey players fight? Because it is allowed within the rules, officials will let two players go at it. You don't see officials breaking up fights in the NHL until it's over, one player drops the other, they wrestle to the ice, or if it goes on long enough that the two tire themselves out.

No more than four full-time officials can be let go in any year. If there are already scheduled retirements planned, the league can only terminate up to three officials.

Medically, they say an athlete's body peaks at age 28. After that age, the body will inevitably decline. Yet some of the biggest names goaltending today, like Tim Thomas and Niklas Backstrom, didn't even make it to the NHL until after that “peak” age.

NHL referees are full-time employees, distinguishing them from the part-time status of referees in some other major sports leagues. This full-time status entitles them to receive an annual salary, benefits, and travel stipends from the league.