Wes McCauley

Wesley McCauley (born January 11, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current National Hockey League (NHL) referee. He is the son of Irene and John McCauley, who was also an NHL referee.

A defenceman during his playing career, McCauley became a referee after injury forced his retirement from playing in 1997. He refereed his first NHL regular season game in 2003 and became a full-time NHL referee in 2005. , he has officiated 1,369 regular season games and 206 playoff games including nine Stanley Cup Final appearances. He wears uniform number four.

Early life and amateur career McCauley was born on January 11, 1972, in Georgetown, Ontario. His father was John McCauley, a former NHL referee and the NHL's Director of Officiating at the time of his death in June 1989.

McCauley entered Michigan State University and played as a defenseman for the university's team, the Spartans. He spent four years playing alongside his best friend Bryan Smolinski and together they co-captained the team in their final year. McCauley won the inaugural Terry Flanagan Memorial Award at the end of his final season in 1993.

Professional playing career After his first year at Michigan State, McCauley was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 8th round of the 1990 NHL entry draft. He ended his playing career in 1997 due to injuries. While with the AHL, McCauley refereed his first NHL game on January 20, 2003, a 5–1 win to the Columbus Blue Jackets against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. In June 2013, he was selected as part of the officiating team for the NHL's 2013 Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025, and 2026. McCauley officiated his 1,000th NHL game on December 23, 2018. When coming to center ice after penalties or video reviews, he is known for his suspenseful announcements of important results.

McCauley was one of eight officials selected to work the 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025.

Personal life McCauley is married with four children and lives in South Portland, Maine, where his wife Bethany grew up. His younger brother Blaine McCauley also played professional hockey. Wes was one of the referees in Blaine's professional debut in 2000.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1988–89 St. Michael’s Buzzers MetJBHL 38 9 29 38 81 — — — — — 1989–90 Michigan State University CCHA 42 2 7 9 15 — — — — — 1990–91 Michigan State University CCHA 28 1 2 3 9 — — — — — 1991–92 Michigan State University CCHA 42 2 10 12 42 — — — — — 1992–93 Michigan State University CCHA 33 3 6 9 34 — — — — — 1993–94 Knoxville Cherokees ECHL 56 2 28 30134 3 0 3 3 0 1993–94 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 2 0 0 04 — — — — — 1994–95 Muskegon Fury CoHL 63 9 31 4070 13 7 7 14 4 1995–96 Muskegon Fury CoHL 41 17 21 3846 5 3 11 14 0 1995–96 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 8 1 0 116 — — — — — 1996–97 HC Milano 24 Italy 10 2 4 626 6 0 0 0 12 1996–97 HC Milano 24 Alpenliga 18 1 6 730 — — — — —IHL totals 10 1 0 1 20 — — — — —CoHL totals 104 26 52 78 116 18 10 18 28 4