As we all know, hockey is a dangerous sport, not just for the players, but for the on-ice officials as well. Today we were reminded of that as referee Steve Kozari was stretchered off the ice after a collision with Hayden Fleury.
The incident occurred in the neutral zone this afternoon as the Lightning were visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lightning forward Hayden Fleury appeared to be coming on the ice as Kozari was back skating through the neutral zone, facing the opposite direction. The two individuals failed to see each other until after Fleury bulldozed right into his back, catching him off guard.
Eventually, the official was stretchered off the ice. Luckily, he appeared to be okay as he gave the crowd a thumbs up. Hopefully the move was just a precaution. Meanwhile, players from both teams showed their respect for Kozari as the benches cleared so they could all check up on him.
