NHL referee Steve Kozari was taken from the ice on a stretcher during the third period of Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning at PPG Paints Arena.
Kozari collided with Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury with 13 minutes, 49 seconds remaining, with both players falling to the ice.
Fleury was able to skate off the ice and head to the Lightning locker room, but Kozari was motionless near center ice as medical personnel from both teams attended to him.
After a few minutes, he was lifted onto a stretcher and taken off the ice. He was able to move his hands and arms and gesture to fellow officials.
Referee Steve Kozari was taken off on a stretcher following a collision with Hayden Fleury pic.twitter.com/zimtfWvgLk
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 6, 2024
Players from both teams all left the bench to give him stick taps.
Following the game, NHL Public Relations issued a release, revealing that Kozari is concious, alert and expected to make a full recovery.
NHL statement on Referee Steve Kozari. pic.twitter.com/4PffGshUzf
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 6, 2024
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby didn’t have the clearest look but offered his support to Kozari.
“It was bad. Didn’t look good,” he said. “Obviously, wish Steve the best. Hopefully he’s all right.”
Coach Mike Sullivan also shared his vantage point of the incident.
“I caught it out of the corner of my eye,” Sullivan said. “Tampa’s defenseman was coming off the bench — I think both of them were looking at the puck, as was I — so I caught it out of the corner of my eye. But at the last second, they collided and I believe they hit helmet to helmet, so it was really a scary collision.
“I don’t think Steve had the ability to break his fall when he fell to the ice. We certainly hope he’s going to be OK. That was a scary moment in the game.”
According to the ESPN/ABC broadcast, there was a moment of unconsciousness after the collision.
Play resumed with one referee and two linesmen for the remainder of the game, which the Penguins won 5-4.
Fleury did not return to the game after the collision.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper did not have an update on Fleury immediately following the game.
“It was just one of those plays that’s kind of a freak accident,” he told reporters.”But hopefully, both guys are going to be OK.”
