The NHL maintains a long-standing policy to address situations where officials are unable to reach a game due to injury, illness, or what the league terms “misadventure.”
While recent FAA ground stops have forced reassignments for other professional sports leagues, NHL games remained largely unaffected by recent travel issues, according to Yahoo Sports.
However, the league keeps a contingency plan known as Rule 31.11 for extreme circumstances.
Under this regulation, if the league cannot find suitable replacement officials, each team must select a player to serve as an official.
The home team’s representative acts as the referee, while the visiting team’s player serves as a linesperson, as noted in the official NHL rulebook.
This unusual scenario occurred on Jan. 15, 1983, when a snowstorm delayed officials at a game between the Hartford Whalers and New Jersey Devils.
Injured players Mickey Volcan and Garry Howatt were tasked with officiating duties until the regular crew arrived in the second period, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Volcan recalled being told he would represent his team before donning practice gear to work the ice.
Despite the existence of this rule, NHL executive vice president of officiating Stephen Walkom expressed skepticism about its modern application.
Walkom stated that he could not imagine a time when using players as officials would be a realistic option for the league, according to The Athletic.
He emphasized that the league prioritizes having competent and qualified officials on the ice to ensure player safety.
Walkom noted that the rule remains a fallback mechanism to ensure games are covered if unforeseen events prevent the standard officiating crew from arriving, as reported by The Athletic.
The league continues to prioritize standard officiating assignments to maintain professional standards.