A former Edmonton Oilers prospect has finally made it to the NHL, but not as a player.

Ben Betker, who was a sixth-round draft pick of the Oilers back in 2013, has officially been hired by the NHL’s officiating team for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The 30-year-old former defenceman reffed his first-ever NHL preseason game on Sunday, working a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks.

Betker played three seasons with the Oilers organization between 2015-16 and 2018-19, shifting between the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals and Kalamazoo Wings.

After the Oilers opted to cut ties with Betker, the hulking defenceman crossed the pond and spent five seasons playing in Slovakia and Austria. He called it a career following the 2023-24 season and decided

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