On the
WORLD STAGE
Matt MacPherson ’05 officiates at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Skating onto Olympic ice for the first time was surreal, says Matt MacPherson ’05. The NHL linesman and Antigonish, NS native recalls the moment he and the rest of the men’s hockey officiating team arrived at the rink in Milan, Italy to start their journey working the 2026 Winter Olympics Games.
"We had a skate as a team. We got the ice for an hour. I was soaking in the atmosphere, seeing the Olympic rings. That moment is a highlight,” says Mr. MacPherson, who spent nearly 18 days in Milan in February.
"It was really cool to be a part of the Milan Olympics."
The 2026 Games marked the first time that NHL players returned to compete in men’s hockey since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, 12 years ago. “When NHL players go to the Olympics, we go along with them,” says Mr. MacPherson who was one of 13 chosen from the NHL for the honour. International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) officials also crewed the games.
The invitation came last summer.
“One of my bosses called and said, ‘Do you want to go?’” Mr. MacPherson said. “Of course, I said yes. It was exciting.”
He worked four games, three preliminary matchups and a quarterfinal, and was on standby for others so he was at the rink most days. He didn’t officiate any contests featuring Team Canada, though he was in the building for the sold-out Canada–U.S. overtime gold medal game.
“Fun. Intense,” he describes the match, his favorite game of the tournament. With the players at the Olympics representing the best of the best of their respective home countries, Mr. MacPherson says the action was even a step above NHL games.
A highlight for him was that his wife, Laura, was able to join him for a week. Another cool moment came when he met up with fellow Antigonish native Shauna Neary, who was in Milan to officiate women’s hockey, an achievement to have two officials from the small Nova Scotia town in Italy, both officiating at the top level.
For Mr. MacPherson, the Olympics represented something special.
“It’s kind of the ultimate as far as sporting events go,” he said.
"It’s the pinnacle. Just being able to be part of that was really cool. The Olympics is a big deal, and not just for hockey."
Mr. MacPherson gathers with his family after officiating his 1,000th regular season game in the NHL.
Antigonish born and raised officials Matt MacPherson and Shauna Neary at the 2026 Olympics
Celebrating his 1,000th game!
Growing up, he remembers watching both the Winter and Summer Games, drawn by his favorites sports and tuning in, like many, to others he wouldn’t normally see but that are introduced to a worldwide audience through the event.
His Olympic milestone came during a season that also included another significant moment. In January 2026, Mr. MacPherson worked his 1,000th NHL game at TD Garden in Boston. The league honoured him in a ceremony attended by nearly 50 of his family members and friends.
Now based in Dover, New Hampshire, Mr. MacPherson is one of 35 full-time NHL linesmen; the league also employs 35 referees. The role takes him to all 32 NHL cities across North America.
“It’s an exciting thing to travel across North America and to get to skate on the ice at the hockey games. It’s a dream job,” he says. “It’s opened up lots of experiences. It’s opened a world of adventure.”
Mr. MacPherson didn’t initially plan on officiating as a career. He began calling games at age 15 as a way for extra ice time and to earn spending money while playing hockey himself. He worked minor hockey at the Antigonish Arena, progressed to junior and university hockey in Antigonish, then spent four years in the Quebec Major Junior League and two seasons in the minor pro ECHL and AHL.
"It’s an exciting thing to travel across North America and to get to skate on the ice at the hockey games. It’s a dream job. It’s opened up lots of experiences. It’s opened a world of adventure."
After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with a computer science degree, he worked four years in Halifax, NS as an IT consultant.
He became more serious about officiating while in the Quebec league, when he realized NHL scouts were there also evaluating officials.
“That’s when it dawned on me that there was potential to make it my living,” he said.
He was hired by the NHL in 2011. His first game that season in Pittsburgh remains one of his career highlights. “That was a special day, a special moment, reaching that goal,” he says. Other highlights include working his 1,000th game, along with officiating at outdoor games, all-star games, and several Stanley Cup playoffs. His work has brought international travel to Australia and now Italy.
It’s a high-pressure job, he notes, and one where you’re never going to please everybody.
With players, coaches and fans deeply invested, the stakes are high and emotion can run high too as all want to win. As officials, their job is to keep calm and remain steady.
“Our job is to serve the game and make sure it is fair and safe. There are always going to be one or two calls people don’t agree with. At the end of the day, we put our best effort forth. That’s the bottom line.”
From his start at local Antigonish rinks to the Olympic rings, it’s been a dream realized for Mr. MacPherson, serving the game at its highest level.
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