Irresponsible linesman makes a bad decision that gets a player knocked out by a huge left hand

Fighting in hockey goes back to when the game began. Emotions run high and it provides players with a tool to police themselves if the game gets out of hand. With that choice of fighting also comes some inherent risks, but players who engage understand those risks.

When two players drop the gloves it falls on the discretion of the linesmen to do everything in their power to protect those players. Unfortunately this clip serves as a lesson for young linesmen and referees on what they SHOULDN'T do.

As two players drop the gloves and are prepared to engage a linesman makes a very irresponsible decision. Rather than circling the two combatants the linesman cuts directly between the two. This choice leaves one player completely blind to the impending right hand and as he steps forward he eats a shot directly to the button. The left hand sends him directly to the ice.




The player involved crashes to the ice and must be tended to by medical staff before being removed from the ice on a stretcher. This clip is a serious reminder of just how important positioning is for officials and how their choices can have serious repercussions for the players they protect.