Cianna Lieffers

Cianna Murray (; born August 13, 1994) is a Canadian ice hockey referee in North American professional leagues and at International Ice Hockey Federation events. She refereed women's hockey at the Winter Olympics in 2022 and 2026; and worked five consecutive Women's World Championship since 2021, including the gold-medal game in 2024. She became an American Hockey League official in 2022, and a Professional Women's Hockey League official in 2024. She was one of the first females to work in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the second Western Hockey League female referee, and the first in Centennial Cup history.

Personal life and education Born Cianna Lieffers on August 13, 1994, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she grew up in Cudworth as the only girl playing on her minor ice hockey team. As the middle child with two brothers, she was given the same sporting opportunities as her siblings. Moving to Saskatoon after finishing high school, she earned Bachelor of Human Kinetics (2017) and Bachelor of Education (2018) degrees at University of Saskatchewan. She taught physical education at a Saskatoon high school, then later taught at elementary schools in Warman, and Asquith. She married Troy Murray in 2025.

Ice hockey career Murray first became an ice hockey official at age 12, following her older brother. Murray progressed through the levels of the Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association, receiving the Kenneth R. Stiles Memorial Scholarship.

During high school, Murray officiated in games for boys her own age. Within a year, she progressed to working in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League and the Prairie Junior Hockey League. She obtained an International Ice Hockey Federation certification to referee internationally in 2017, after previously working the 2018 Winter Olympics qualification tournament in Mexico City as a linesperson in 2016.

Murray officiated her first international event in Canada when Saskatoon hosted the 2018 4 Nations Cup, and refereed at the 2019 U18 Women's World Championship in Scotland.

2020 to present At the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Switzerland, Murray refereed 11 preliminary round games, a semifinal game, and the gold-medal game. One of three Canadian referees in women's hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics in China,

Murray refereed at the 2022 Women's World Championship in Denmark, and the 2023 Women's World Championship in Canada. She participated in the National Hockey League officiating combine in 2022, was added to the American Hockey League list of officials for the 2022–23 season. Murray stated after the game, "the next step from there would be to have our two females work together and maybe one day work towards a full female crew". She refereed at the 2025 Women's World Championship in the Czech Republic, her fifth consecutive Women's World Championship. In December 2025, she and her husband Troy were refereeing partners in a WHL game at the SaskTel Centre. she worked the final Olympic qualification tournament in Sweden in February 2025. She refereed three group games at the Olympics, the semifinal game between Sweden and the United States, and the gold medal game between Canada and the United States. Prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics, she refereed five games at the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division I in Milan.

Development as an official Murray quickly developed the ability to withstand criticism and verbal abuse while officiating, and participants not knowing what to expect from a female refereeing male players much taller than herself. She felt that officiating "teaches you confidence, leadership, communication and how to handle pressure", and that "being a referee has made me a better teacher, and vice versa".

As part of the Saskatchewan Minor Hockey Association referee committee, she mentors and instructs courses to develop younger officials. Inspired to improve her refereeing talents by the "tenacity" of the Humboldt Broncos in rebuilding after the 2018 bus crash, she stated the team's "spirit of resilience made a profound impression". Since 2021, she has "made it personal goal to pave the way or to make it easier for that next female".