NHLOA Alumni
NHLOA Alumni

NHL Official: 1977 to 2005

Birthplace: Springfield, MA

Regular Season: 1964 Games (Linesman)

Playoffs: 296 Games

Stanley Cup Finals: 12

Kevin Collins

Collins started officiating in 1970 while playing hockey for the American International College in Springfield MA. After one of their practice, the local rink manager came in their room and said that they we’re starting an in-house weekend league for kids and that they needed referees and thought that some of them would like to give it a try and earn $2 a game! His former college teammate at the time and now ex-NHL player Dave Forbes got him to sign up for it. Then four years later, after finishing a two-year minor-league playing career with the Johnstown Jets and after getting a day job working towards becoming a probation officer, Collins started officiating games on nights and weekends on a more regular basis and getting more serious about it. His integrity, athleticism and strong skating ability made him a prime prospect early on. He would attend the American Hockey League (AHL) officiating camps for the following two seasons. The fact that the AHL was holding his camps in his hometown of Springfield also helped him in being recruited to work the minor league. John D’Amico (former NHL Linesman and Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee), who was running the AHL camps with former NHL lineman Matt Pavelich, recommended Collins to Scotty Morrison who was the NHL referee-in-chief at the time, to hire him. Fortunately, Morrison listened to his veteran linesman and offered Collins an NHL linesman contract the following summer. Collins would go on and work from 1977 to 2005 as a NHL linesman; he retired after the 2004-05 NHL lockout, where the entire season was canceled. He then took on a new challenge, accepting an officiating manager position with the NHL to work primary with the scouting and development of the NHL and minor league linesmen. He retired from his manager position in 2013. His impressive résumé include more than 2,000 NHL games (1,964 NHL Regular Season Games and 296 NHL Playoffs Games) as a linesman. His journey of 28 seasons on the ice with the NHL (1977-2005), include 12 appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals and saw him being assigned to work; four Canada Cup tournaments, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the 1998 Olympic Winter Games and three NHL All-Star Games (1985 Calgary,1988 St.Louis and 1993 Montreal). His 296 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs rank as the most by an American official and his 32 games in the Stanley Cup Finals place him second among American officials behind William “Bill” Chadwick. “K.C.” like his peers and players used to call him, a well-respected individual among the NHLOA, also served on the executive board for several years including a term as president of the association. Collins was also a pioneer in the development of officiating as a whole. In 1974, he founded the Western New England School of Officiating which, at the time, was the only officiating school conducted in the U.S. and provided the foundation for hundreds of budding professional officials. In 1983, Collins helped USA Hockey create its Officiating Summer Development Camp program and its officiating manual series, both of which remain in use and serve as core components of USA Hockey’s Officiating Development Program. Collins also taught at numerous USA Hockey officiating camps and seminars. Over the years, he also volunteered countless hours to the Massachusetts amateur hockey program. His contribution to the USA Hockey program and the game of hockey as a whole was recognized on December 13th 2017 when he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Kevin is married to his wife Mary and still resides in Springfield, MA. He has three children; Kevin Jr., Lauren and Christopher and is a proud grandfather to four grandchild.

Milestones

First NHL Game

October 13, 1977

Toronto Maple Leafs
at
Detroit Redwings

First Playoff Game

April 8, 1980

St Louis Blues
at
Chicago Blackhawks

1500th Game

December 19, 1996

Tampa Bay Lightning
at
Boston Bruins

Final Game

April 3, 2004

New Jersey Devils
at
Boston Bruins

All-Star Games

1993 -- MONTREAL, PQ

Montreal All Star Game

Montreal Forum
February 06, 1993

1988 -- ST. LOUIS, MO

St Louis All Star Game

St. Louis Arena
February 09, 1988

1985 -- CALGARY, AB

Calgary All Star Game

Olympic Saddledome
February 12, 1985

Stanley Cup Finals

2001 Stanley Cup

Colorado Avalanche
vs
New Jersey Devils

1999 Stanley Cup

Dallas Stars
vs
Buffalo Sabres

1998 Stanley Cup

Detroit Redwings
vs
Washington Capitals

1996 Stanley Cup

Colorado Avalanche
vs
Florida Panthers

1995 Stanley Cup

New Jersey Devils
vs
Detroit Redwings

1994 Stanley Cup

Vancouver Canucks
vs
New York Rangers

1993 Stanley Cup

LA Kings
vs
Montreal Canadiens

1992 Stanley Cup

Pittsburgh Pengiuns
vs
Chicago Blackhawks

1991 Stanley Cup

Pittsburgh Pengiuns
vs
Northstars Logo

1989 Stanley Cup

Calgary Flames
vs
Montreal Canadiens

1988 Stanley Cup

Edmonton Oilers
vs
Boston Bruins

1987 Stanley Cup

Edmonton Oilers
vs
Philadelphia Flyers

International

1996 World Cup of Hockey

World Cup of Hockey

CAN / CZE / FIN / GER / SWE / USA

1998 SOCHI Olympics

Nagano Olympics

WINTER OLYMPICS