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. The incident took place a few seconds into the second period.
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Rooney was escorted off the ice while holding a bloody towel to his face. He was replaced by alternate referee Garrett Rank.
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.
The game was 0-0 at the time. But a few minutes later, Florida defenseman Seth Jones broke through with a goal. The Panthers then picked up two more goals, from forwards Anthon Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich, to bring the score to 3-0.
Florida nearly made it 4-0, but another 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.