A referee left the Game 7 matchup between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday after a high stick to the face.
Chris Rooney, a veteran official with two decades of NHL experience, was hit in the face with the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola, leaving him bloodied and forcing him to exit the game.
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The incident took place a few seconds into the second period of the Panthers’ 6-1 win at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, when Mikkola’s stick grazed Rooney’s face and nearly knocked off his helmet. Rooney went down, clutching his face and bleeding. Players on both teams instantly waved over the medical staff.
After a few moments, Rooney was escorted off the ice while holding a bloody towel to his face. He was replaced by alternate referee Garrett Rank.
During the third period, TNT reported on the broadcast that Rooney had received stitches on the cut, which was above his eye.
Rooney, who has been a referee in the NHL since 2002, has officiated more than 1,500 games in his tenure, according to the NHL Officials Association. Rank, his replacement, has been an NHL referee since 2015.
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The game was 0-0 at the time of Rooney’s injury.
A few minutes later, Florida defenseman Seth Jones broke through with a goal. The Panthers then picked up two more goals, from forwards Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich, to bring the score to 3-0.
Florida nearly made it 4-0, but another second-period goal from Jones was called back by Rank, the replacement ref, for goalie interference. Despite the Panthers’ objections, video replay confirmed the call, showing that Jones’ leg made contact with the stick of Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll.
In the third period, the Maple Leafs took one back, with Max Domi reawakening the crowd with a great goal to bring things to 3-1. But the Panthers added three more goals before taking the 6-1 win and closing out the series.
The win sends Florida into the Eastern Conference finals, where they’ll take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are set in the Western Conference finals on the other side of the bracket.