Sometimes, you don’t need to pick a side to attend a sporting event. You can just root for good, clean officiating.
Famed actor and comedian Will Ferrell did exactly that at the game between the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. He sported full NHL ref garb as he sat in the first row on the glass at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. for some great laughs. He took the bit to heart, too, as the jumbotron flashed to him signaling for plenty of icing calls and penalties, doing the job he set out for.
Will Ferrell is watching the @LAKings game on the glass in full referee’s gear, calling every penalty on the videoboard 😂 pic.twitter.com/dOMK7vVyAH
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 2, 2026
Will Ferrell is at the Kings game tonight in full referee gear making calls from behind the glass 😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/jfw2hVky33
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 2, 2026
The local broadcast caught up with Ferrell to explain the move, which he says goes deeper than we ever could have known.
“I’ve always been in support of the NHL referees,” he said on the FanDuel Sports Network broadcast. “In fact, I trained two of the guys out here. Two of my prized students, Brandon and Francis, they’re calling a heck of a game.“
Will Ferrell talks supporting the refs and how he trained two of the refs in the Kings Lightning game 😂 pic.twitter.com/ucPTRpG2hh
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 2, 2026
Ferrell did his homework for the joke as Francis Charron and Brandon Schrader were the on-ice referees Thursday. It looked like Ferrell had an absolute blast and provided plenty of laughs for the fans in attendance along the way.
He is making quite literally every call, too 😂👏 pic.twitter.com/ljT8Z8LVHK
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 2, 2026
Add Off-Ice Official to Will Ferrell’s resume 🤣 pic.twitter.com/hDHlBKc8kS
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 2, 2026
Will Ferrell’s refereeing from the front row tonight in LA 😂 pic.twitter.com/6sWgGimSML
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 2, 2026
Last year, he pulled out his “Buddy the Elf” costume from the holiday classic Elf at a Kings game. He’s a Kings superfan and has been a mainstay at their home games for several years, usually donning more casual attire. Every now and then, though, he clearly isn’t afraid to mix it up.
We’ll eagerly wait to see what the actor has up his sleeve next.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Will Ferrell Hilariously Played Referee in Front Row of Kings-Lightning Game.
