Referee Marc Joannette was injured during Tuesday’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.
Joannette was skating backwards in the Boston zone midway through the second period when he was tripped up by the stick of Boston defenseman Jakub Zboril. The veteran referee’s skates were swept out from under him. He landed awkwardly on his right leg.
Play was stopped, with the injured official grabbing his right ankle. He was helped off the ice and did not return to the game.
The remainder of the game was officiated by a three-man crew of referee Kendrick Nicholson and linesmen Kiel Murchison and Brad Kovachik.
Joannette, who made his NHL debut in 1999, has officiated 1,431 regular season games – second most among active referees, behind Kevin Pollock – along with 172 playoff matches. The Verdun, Quebec, native has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
According to Detroit Red Wings broadcaster Ken Daniels, Joannette suffered a broken fibula on the play. There’s no timetable on his return.
