NHL fans distraught as Steve Kozari, Wes McCauley officiate Game 4 - "Two of the worst officials"

NHL referees for tonight's Game 4 Stanley Cup Finals are #40 Steve Kozari and #4 Wes McCauley.

Both referees for tonight's game are not NHL fan's most favorites. Its quite the opposite as both Kozari and McCauley have been included in controversial calls in the past.

Most recently in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, referees Steve Kozari and Chris Rooney handed many 10-minute misconducts to both Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights which made the fans furious.

After the NHL released the referees and linesmen for tonight's game, fans took to twitter to express their concern about the pair.

One fan predicts that the Golden Knights will win Game 4 having this referee duo on the ice.

Another fan expressed their disliking of both the officials and said:

"Two of the worst officials in the final great."

Recalling Matthew Tkachuk's two 10-minute misconducts from Game 2, one fan said:

Steve Kozari was recently caught swearing on the mic

Steve Kozari found himself in hot spot after accidentally letting a few expletives slip on a hot mic during game seven of the first-round playoff series between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins.

The incident occurred with eight minutes left in the opening frame when Kozari and his team of officials called matching two-minute minor penalties on Sam Bennett and Brandon Carlo.

"Don't you f*cking test me. Don't do s*it after the whistle."

These were the words Kozari used as Brandon Carlo as skated to the penalty box. The mic didn't pick up what Carlo said in response, but the Bruins forward was irate.

Steve Kozari's comments were picked up by the arena's sound system, and the crowd immediately erupted in boos, with many fans believing that Bennett was much more of an aggressor than Carlo.

Steve Kozari's officiating history in the NHL

Steve Kozari joined the NHL Officials Association during the 2003-04 season and has since established himself as a respected official in the league.

His officiating career began at a young age in Penticton, British Columbia, where he officiated minor hockey games before progressing to the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). After several years, he moved up to the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he spent a decade honing his skills.

He earned a promotion to full-time NHL status in the summer of 2007. Since then, he has achieved several significant milestones in his career. His first NHL game took place on October 15, 2005, officiating a match between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues. He made his playoff debut on April 14, 2010, officiating a game between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On October 22, 2021, Kozari reached the milestone of officiating his 1000th league game, a matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Las Vegas Golden Knights.