That had to hurt.
Referee Justin Kea was hit by the puck in a very sensitive location late in Sunday’s game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Utah Hockey Club.
With his team leading 2-1 in the closing minutes, Utah’s Alex Kerfoot attempted to send the puck down the ice towards the empty net. Unfortunately, his clearing attempt caught Kea right below the belt. The ref went down to the ice and the whistle sounded to stop play for an injury.
After catching his breath, Kea got to his feet and remained on the ice, receiving a rousing round of applause from the fans. He stuck it out, working the final 84 seconds of the game.
It looks like there were no lingering issues, as he’s scheduled to be back on the ice Tuesday night in Minnesota.
That took balls guts.
Kea, a former Buffalo Sabres draft pick (Round 3, 2012) was hired by the NHL in 2021, working his first game at Sabres/Blackhawks on March 28, 2022. He’s gone on to officiate 120 games in the National Hockey League.
