Before the Stanley Cup playoffs, a list of forty on-ice officials are named to work: Twenty referees and twenty linesmen. They are paired up in each round, traveling and working together between the series. Usually, they are never assigned to work two games between two teams they have already seen. This does not apply if a series reaches seven games, or at any point in time beginning in the third round. If a game seven is reached, those who have been assigned to work in the next round will call the series-deciding game. If at any time a referee or linesman is injured or unable to work, there is a standby official; he is there in the event that one of the officials cannot continue in the game.
Throughout the playoffs, the list of officials is minimized.
In the final round of cuts, the list is reduced to ten officials: Five referees and five linesmen. They are named as Stanley Cup Finals officials. They are no longer in pairs; they will rotate so that all officials are involved in the series. If the Stanley Cup Finals reach a game seven, the top two referees and two linesmen will be assigned to officiate the game.