Linesman Bryan Pancich left Game 1 between the Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights after he was injured in a collision with Brett Howden.
The injury came just 3:37 into the second period of Sunday’s Game 1. Howden was attempting to glove down the puck near the blue line. As he skated toward the boards, he ran into the official, who crashed hard into the glass before falling to the ice. He remained down for a few minutes before behind helped off for medical attention.
Referee Frederick L’Ecuyer – the lone standby official for the game – donned Pancich’s spare #94 jersey and took his spot manning the lines for the remainder of the match.
No update on Pancich’s injury, or when he’ll be back in the Stanley Cup Playoff officiating rotation. During the postseason, the ref pairings and lines pairings tend to rotate areound through different series.
Officials for the game were refs Wes McCauley (#4) and Furman South (#13), with Ryan Gibbons (#58) and Bryan Pancich (#94) manning the lines — until L’Ecuyer was forced to step in.
