In ice hockey, an official is responsible for enforcing the rules and maintaining order. On-ice officials are present on the ice during the game, and traditionally wear a shirt with black and white vertical stripes. The National Hockey League (NHL) currently employs four on-ice officials in each game—two referees and two linesmen. Referees are identified by their red or orange armbands. They are responsible for the general supervision of the game, assess penalties, and conduct face-offs at the beginning of each period and after a goal is scored. When play is stopped for another reason, the face-offs are conducted by the linesmen. The linesmen are primarily responsible for violations involving the centre line and blue lines, such as icing and offside infractions.
Officials, from left to right: Michel Cormier (linesman), Eric Furlatt (referee), Don Koharski (referee), and Scott Driscoll (linesman) stand at centre ice for the national anthem before a game in Madison Square Garden between the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.
Notes:
#35 (referee) and #85 (linesman) are spare numbers; they are not issued to anyone, and are only worn in the event that a game-assigned official's equipment is lost in transit.
#72 is retired in honor of late linesman Stephane Provost, who died in 2005.
#99 was retired league-wide in 2000 to honour Wayne Gretzky.