Marc Joannette

Marc Joannette (born November 3, 1968) is a retired Canadian referee who worked in the National Hockey League (NHL), wearing uniform number 25.^[1] By the conclusion of the 2022–23 NHL season, he had officiated 1,520 regular season games and 172 playoff contests.^[2] His NHL debut came on October 1, 1999. Notably, he officiated the game on April 6, 2007, when Martin Brodeur surpassed Bernie Parent's record for most wins in a single season with his 48th victory.^[3] Joannette was chosen to work the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008, 2009, and 2018, and was also selected to officiate at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.^[1]

Marc Joannette
Former NHL referee Marc Joanette prepares for an opening faceoff in a 2013 NHL Western Conference contest between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings.
Born	(1968-11-03) November 3, 1968 (age 56) Verdun, Quebec
Occupation	Former NHL referee

On October 5, 2008, NHL referee Joannette found himself at the centre of a bizarre and memorable moment during a regular-season matchup between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the early minutes of the third period, Blue Jackets winger Jason Chimera was aggressively skating across the offensive zone, preparing to deliver a check on Leafs forward Alexei Ponikarovsky.^[4] Just as Chimera closed in, Joannette inadvertently stepped into his skating lane, leading to a sudden and forceful collision between the player and the official. The impact was so strong that Chimera's helmet was knocked off, and both men were briefly shaken. Nevertheless, they managed to get up quickly and resume their roles.^[5] Taking advantage of the disruption, the Maple Leafs continued the play, and Ponikarovsky capitalized on the moment by scoring a goal that gave Toronto a 4–2 lead.^[5] Despite the setback, the Blue Jackets regrouped, managed to tie the game later in the period, and ultimately emerged victorious in overtime.^[4]