NHL Referee Wes McCauley Is a Wonderful Showman

NHL referee Wes McCauley has done the impossible: turn into a fan favorite with a whistle. Like a Shea brother calling an eating contest at Coney Island, he understands that showmanship gets a person places in this world and leans in. His first viral foray came back in 2016 with this gem:

This is the most dramatic call ever. ??? pic.twitter.com/v14wcsbCdB
— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) March 29, 2016

A year later he debuted a five-for-fighting call with plenty of mustard:

And much to everyone's delight, he was back to his old tricks last night in the San Jose Sharks-Detroit Red Wings game, announcing some major penalties with major panache.

No one does it quite like Wes McCauley. ? pic.twitter.com/ZVno8a99jf
— NHL (@NHL) January 5, 2022

Hell yes, Wes. There is no reason to be stoic after guys just spent the previous minutes wailing on each other. Give fights the coda they deserve. Just solid production value and decision-making right there.