PITTSBURGH — NHL referee Steve Kozari was stretchered off the ice in the third period of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday afternoon. He is conscious, alert and expected to make a full recovery, the NHL said in a statement.
Kozari and Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury collided near the center-ice circle about six minutes into the final period. Play was stopped as a hush fell over the 18,383 fans. Emergency response personnel quickly attended to Kozari, who lay motionless even after Fleury made his way to the medical area by way of the benches.
Kozari was transported to UPMC Mercy hospital after the collision for “precautionary reasons,” the NHL said.
“I caught it out of the corner of my eye,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “At the last second, they collided and I believe they hit helmet-to-helmet. It was really a scary collision because I don’t think, really, Steve was able to break his fall.
“That was a scary moment.”
Scary scenes in Pittsburgh during the Penguins vs. Lightning matchup.
Referee Steve Kozari was taken off on a stretcher following a collision with Haydn Fleury.
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The game was nationally broadcast in the United States by ESPN. However, the collision occurred away from the action. A video replay was shown on television after Kozari was taken off the ice. The arena in-house feed was cut and no replay was shown on the video board.
Several Penguins players said after the game they did not see the collision between Kozari and Fleury. Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson said they were surprised a referee would be at that spot on the ice. Pettersson added that he thought Kozari had not noticed the puck had been sent in the opposite direction, which might have left him prone to being blindsided by Fleury.
There was a lengthy stoppage as medical personnel encircled Kozari. Some players from both teams tried to divert their attention with short skates near the benches. Coaches and other players watched Kozari receive treatment. After several minutes of attention, Kozari was lifted onto a stretcher, which was taken off the ice by way of the Zamboni entrance.
“It was bad, didn’t look good,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “Wish Steve the best. Hopefully he’s alright.”
Crosby, who has played 19 seasons, said Kozari is a well-liked referee among NHL players.
Coming into this season, Kozari, 46, had officiated 1,151 regular-season 136 Stanley Cup playoff games, according to his biography on the NHLOA official website. He also appeared in four Stanley Cup Final series.
Kozari was promoted to full-time NHL status after the 2006-07 season, according to the bio. He began officiating all levels of minor-league hockey before spending 10 seasons with the Western Hockey League.
Kozari, who wears No. 40, notably worked with the British Columbia Sheriff’s office when he was a part-time official in the WHL.
(Photo: Richard A. Whittaker / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)