Referee Brad Meier left Friday’s game between the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower body injury.
The hit came deep in the Capitals zone just eight minutes into the game. Meier’s skate got caught up with Brandon Dubinsky’s right skate as the winger played the puck along the boards. Meier fell awkwardly to the ice, landing in a split. He then took a shot from the puck as a Capitals player attempted to pass it along the boards.
Meier was helped off the ice. He appeared to be favoring his left knee.
The remainder of the game was officiated by the three-man crew of referee Tom Chmielewski and linesmen Mark Shewchyk and Libor Suchanek.
Meier, 51, is in his 19th NHL season. The native of Dayton, Ohio, who later grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has refereed 1,238 regular season games along with 72 playoff appearances. Meier officiated the 2017 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators as well as the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he officiated the Gold Medal Game between Canada and Sweden.
No timetable has been made available regarding his return.
